Lily Potter's plan for the greatest revenge on
by RoseScor90
Summary: She had always thought him a git, and nothing he did convinced her otherwise. Why now, in their final year, does Lily find herself having a change of opinion? Could it be the evil that is rising? Could it be that she was wrong about him? Could it be love?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer : I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters……**

Hi everyone!!!!!!!! Welcome to my newest attempt at drabbling with the HP characters. Moving on, this one will be a Lily(II)/OC if you hadn't noticed. This story will be in LilyPOV.

With no further ado, let's move on to the story!!!!!!!!

Chapter 1: The boring intro

Hi reader! If you are reading this sorry excuse for an autobiography, then I must tell you this……….you are either too bored or too intelligent. Either way, I feel it imperative to introduce myself………wow! I used a big word. Imperative is a big word, right? Take that Al!! I _can_ use big words.

Lily-1; Al-0

If you still can't figure out who I'm then you'd most probably come under the first category of readers mentioned above.

For the sake of those who _still_ haven't figured it out and for those who haven't figured it out but are acting as if you have, I'm Lily Luna Potter, the greatest nutter in the whole wide world. How did I get that title, you ask?

Okay, you most probably won't be interested in this but it may have something to do with incidents circling around the Great Hall( which is _the_ place for public humiliation, let me tell you. I'd know, trust me), a wand, a few spells, Slytherins (when _haven't_ they been associated with nuttiness, I ask you. Take Voldy for example), Mandrake juice (which isn't so easy to get a hold of), pixies ( you simply _can't_ brew perfect trouble without pixies!) and of course, the most important ingredient, myself.

Now, I don't normally refer to myself as an ingredient but you see this _excellent_ prank of mine (I know you disagree Bri, now shove off) wouldn't have come about without me!

But seeing as the world is all about being sensible and grown up (insert a hmph), I was named a nutter.

Though I wouldn't have been offended if that particular name had been given by some one, any one more like, else I wouldn't have bothered with hexing him to the next century. It just _had_ to be him.

Him who, you ask? I'm getting there. Wait for a chapter more and you'll see the devil in action.

I'm not blabbering, am I?

A/n: Hey people! Any thoughts on the story. Feel free to tell me.

Bye!!!!!!!!!


	2. Tryouts and strategies

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters……**

Chapter 2: Tryouts and strategies

"BRANWEN DEMETRI WOOD! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS?"

_Wanna know what he did?_

Few minutes earlier:

"_Hey, Lily! I wanted to ask you some thing, about Hogsmeade…"_

"_I have a date on Hogsmeade day, Bri. Sorry. Why don't you ask Hugo? It'd save quite a lot of trouble on both your sides?" Lily replied with a wink._

"_Oh, stop it, Lily. I'll just have to go with Clara then. Don't you have tryouts on Saturday, any way?"_

"_No. Last I saw, it was on the next Saturday"_

"_Hugo told me an hour ago that it had been preponed to this Saturday"_

"_What? That vile………"_

"_What is it, Lily?"_

"_**Wood**__, saw that James Rogers had asked me out. He's doing this just to spite me. That git! Wait till I get a hold of him!"_

_Bri shook her head and sighed._

_There was simply no use in arguing with Lily when it came to matters concerning Branwen Wood._

_As far as she could remember, the two had always been bickering. It was even more surprising considering that Wood's brother Drake was best friends with Teddy and Victoire and Lily __**adored**__ Teddy._

"What is it, Potter?"

Hearing his low voice from behind the couch, Lily turned towards it.

He was lounging on the couch by the fire, a picture of innocence.

_Innocent my foot._

_If I hadn't been so irritated by him I'd immediately have noticed how well he'd fit in a portrait at that moment. With his curly chocolate brown hair which was swaying around his face with the light breeze in the room, soulful amber eyes which had a few specs of hazel in them which only served to intensify their smoldering nature and the casual but graceful way in which he was spread on the couch all served to make him look not unlike an angel._

_Stop getting distracted, Lily._

"Why you……….You have the nerve to reschedule the tryouts and then strut about as if…….as if……….You _knew _I had a date!"

"I'm sorry your date has to be cancelled, Potter but I can't have people in my team who consider a Hogsmeade visit above Quidditch tryouts"

"You did this on purpose!"

"Care to prove it, Potter?"

"Uhh……..I hate you!"

"The feelings equally reciprocated, Potter. Now that you have declared your undying hate for me, will you leave me to my strategies?"

"I don't think so" Lily said as she purposefully plopped down on the couch beside him making him jump out of the couch.

"Very mature, Potter. Very mature. Now what do you want?"

"Postpone the tryouts"

"No"

"Didn't the others object?"

"None of the older players except you have objected"

"What about the ones trying out? This is the first trip for Third Years. They're gonna feel torn between the two!"

That was some thing that even he couldn't brush away.

"We'll have it earlier in the day so that they can go later. Who knows, if every one accepts, the new team can even go together to celebrate. It'll improve team spirit"

"I won't be attending it, Wood"

"Oh you will Potter"

"You can't force me to come"

"We'll see about that. Now let me work in peace"

"Not until you change your mind"

"Since you're gonna be here for some time you'd better be useful. Look at this game plan. I think this'd be rather effective against the Hufflepuffs. What do you think?"

"No way, Wood. Harper knows that our chasers are gonna be new. It'd take about five minutes for him to figure out our strategy. He'd surely interrupt the quaffle right about here where the other two chasers will have to manage without me"

"What do we do then?"

"I change to center field. That way, the quaffle has to pass through me all the time and I can retain it if the pass would be intercepted"

"But you do best as right hand chaser. I just thought it'd be an advantage"

"Not if I'm not able to get a hold of the quaffle"

And thus, the two discussed quidditch plans for the next hour. It was some thing that amazed the entire school. When it came to Quidditch, they always were able to set aside their differences and then, they were invincible. Gryffindor hadn't won the Quidditch Cup for the past seven years simply because of Albus, Scorpius, Rose and James.

James, and later Albus who had been Quidditch Captains, had always consulted these two when it came to game plans. They were entirely too in tune with each others mind not to come up with the best tactics for the matches.

Outside quidditch was another story, though. The two never seemed to agree and would always squabble about the silliest of matters.

Their friends had long since given up trying to make peace between the two and had decided to let them be.

"Changed your mind yet, Wood?"

"Never, Potter. The Quidditch tryouts will be held early this Saturday and…….."

"And what?"

"You'll just have to wait until I put up the notice" Wood retorted as he smirked.

"Whatever, Wood. It's a pity I won't be able to help you in the decisions. I'll be enjoying my date with Rogers. See ya" she said as she climbed out of the portrait hole.

"We'll see how you go on that date, Lily. Rogers will just have to find a last minute date. I'll see to it" Branwen muttered as he arranged the stacks of paper before him so that it didn't get into the wrong hands.

"Speaking to yourself, Bran?"

"Hey, Hugo! Do you have a date Saturday?"

"No. You know me, Bran. I don't go on meaningless one time dates"

"Yeah, Yeah. You won't ask the one you fancy either"

"Shh…Don't be too loud"

"Okay! Does any one from our quidditch team have a date?"

"I heard that Lily has one"

"Never mind Potter. She won't go. The others, I mean"

"Lewis is free tomorrow and last I saw Molly was still too hung up on OWLs to go on a date. Why are you asking this?"

"I'm rescheduling the tryouts"

"You told me that already"

"And you promptly told Bri who told Potter who waylaid me about it earlier"

"So that's why Lily was muttering angrily under her breath when I passed her. Should have known it had some thing to do with you"

"Hey! I'm right here"

"Bran, that's the truth. You're the only one that makes her mad enough to holler like she does. Have you ever seen her shout like that at any body else?"

"I'm sure she………There was this one time when……….."

"See? She's generally good tempered but when it comes to you, she just goes out of control. That makes her even more irate cause you're the only one who gets under her skin"

"At least some one can take her yells without flinching!"

That was true. Branwen was the only one who fought back with Lily. The others were just too afraid to even be near her when she was mad.

"Whatever, mate. What goes on between you two is not my problem but don't push her too far"

"I know my boundaries with Potter, Hugo. I don't wish to be on the receiving end of her bat boogey once again"

"You were really asking for it last year by calling her a nutter in front of the entire school. And after she had executed that prank of hers. If there is any thing she prices above Quidditch, it's her dignity and intellect"

"Let's hope frail little Potter can take this blow"

"What are you planning?"

"Oh! Just some thing to spoil Princess Potter's date"

"Bran…."

"Don't worry. It's all honorable and just. I'm not doing any thing immoral"

"Spoiling some one's date purposefully in itself is immoral, Bran"

"Listen to this……………………………………"

"Bran! That's just cruel"

"Nope. It's revenge for the incident last year"

"You said it yourself, Bran. It was lst year"

"Revenge is a dish that's best served cold"

"Please, Bran. Don't do this. This is way below the belt"

"Of course! And her hexing me isn't?"

"I give up. Just make sure the both of you come out of this mess that you're gonna create alive and unscathed"

"We're not going into battle, Hugo"

"With you two, you never know"

"Stop trying to talk in riddles, Hugo. You're too cheerful to pull off the somber look"

"Okay! I'll go and inform Lewis and Molly, then. Hate to do this but those two live in the library all the time"

"For very different reasons" Wood replied as he began to prepare the notice for tryouts.

Later in the evening, when Lily saw the notice………let's just say it was quite a sight.

_You have to go over the top with every thing you do, shouldn't you Wood?_

_I'm not giving up yet._

A/n: Hey there!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know I haven't paid much attention at all to this story. I'm totally sorry for it. But I hope this one makes up for it.

As always, review!!!!!!!!!!!

Sneak peak:

_Take that Wood Lily thought as the quaffle soared right past the vigilant keeper and………..missed the hoops by a metre or so._

_Let's see what you do now. _

_The days of Lily Potter playing by the rules are over. _

_When it's a matter of pride, the unconventional becomes essential._


	3. Plans and counterplans

**Disclaimer : I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters……**

Chapter 3: Plans and Counterplans

The Saturday of the Quidditch tryouts and the Hogsmeade visit dawned bright and sunny.

Lily woke up with a smirk on her face.

_Let's see you face this one, Wood. No one messes with Lily Luna Potter and gets out without a scratch._

"Aren't you late, Lily?"

Just then did she notice Bri, or Brianna, which was her given name, standing by her bed, her wand raised, a bucket of water, ice cold, she was sure, atop her head.

"You weren't planning on drenching me with that, were you?" Lily asked startled. If there was one thing she feared, it was cold water. Every time she encountered cold water, she felt as if she was swamped with Dementors. Every one close to her knew the reason for it. It had been ten years ago when she had been barely eight years of age.

She had been playing in the backyard when there had been a sudden bout of chill and the pretty flower she had been playing with had frozen.

She, being naïve as she was, had assumed that the strange black cloaked figures drifting towards her had had nothing to do with the sudden change in the atmosphere.

It was only when she began to feel bad and when she began seeing her brother Albus fall off his broom, which had happened two years prior did she cry out for her Mum and Dad.

Harry had nearly died of agony when he saw his only daughter in the backyard surrounded by a horde of dementors.

He had barely been on time before the Dementors could perform the Kiss on his child.

That had been the one time Harry Potter's Patronus hadn't been a stag. It had been a Lion, protective of its kin and perilous when threatened.

That had been the first time in History when a Neo-Patronus had been cast.

Hermione had then done a lot of research on it and it had led to the finding of a new spell, quite unintended.

These Neo-Patronuses where quite unique. They were not silver as the normal patronuses were but were exactly the shape, color and size of the beings they took the shape of.

Also, being able to cast a Neo-Patronus did not mean that your normal patronus would disappear, Hermione had explained, It was like Patronus and Animagi. Both could co-exist.

Though this incident had been good for the wizarding world, it had taken its toll on the toddler.

Ever since that fateful day, Lily had never been able to face the cold without remembering the despair and desolation.

That was why winter was her least favorite season and why she hated Christmas.

"No! I was just going to threaten you with it" Bri replied as she removed the object in question away from Lily.

"You haven't answered my question. The tryouts are at seven and it's already six forty five! You'll surely be late. And you have to be there for the tryouts, right?"

"Yeah! Bloody Wood is making all of us tryout again because he wants to give all of them a chance! Chance, like hell! He just wants to piss me off"

"And I see he has succeeded" Bri replied with a smile.

"Uh! I know what you mean, Bri. I try not to react but, he gets to me. Every time. It's as if………"

"Never mind that, Lily. We can discuss this later. Hugo has already left for the pitch. You should get ready fast if you hope to be there before it starts"

"Nope. I'm gonna b perfectly late this time" Lily replied even as she stood up from the bed and began getting ready.

"Why would you do that?"

"You're coming with me aren't you?"

"Yeah! I.."

"You wanna watch Hugo play. Hey! I was just stating the truth. Ouch! This has got to stop. You can't throw things at me every time I mention him"

"Watch me" Bri replied before she threw one last bulky book at Lily before exiting to the commonroom.

"That hurt!"

"It was meant to"

Even as Bri's now inaudible voice floated from the commonroom, Lily's thoughts turned towards the upcoming tryouts and an evil smirk appeared on her face.

Half an hour later, when Lily reached the pith, she could see that the seekers were already trying out and that Hugo and Lewis had already been reinstated as Chasers.

As Molly triumphantly caught the snitch and landed, Hugo turned around to find Lily and Brianna behind him.

"Stop drooling, Hugh"

"Shut up, Lily. You're in for it when Wood catches you. He's been swearing quite colorfully ever since he found out that you hadn't come. He even chased down Rogers to ask about you. You better find a nice hiding place for the next few years"

"He's that furious?"

"Yup. He's heading this way now. I better get going. Brianna, didn't you say you wanted to talk about some thing with Molly?"

"I'll be going then, Lily" Bri muttered as she followed Hugo, ignoring Lily's muttering of traitorous friends and back stabbing cousins.

"Potter!"

"Yes, Wood" Lily stated calmly as she turned to face the now raging Wood.

The sunlight reflected off his hair which was flying around his face like a halo and his ocher eyes, which were ablaze with temper had never appeared more alive and vibrant.

Lily, untimely as it was, was struck with how animated and…..poised he seemed even when he was……..stampeding was the only word that came to her mind, through the grounds towards her.

"_Where in hell have you been?_"

"I was in the Gryffindor commonroom, I believe"

"Don't play innocent with me, Potter. I won't take your smart mouth like every one else"

"What did I do now, Wood?" Lily asked innocently as she stared up at him with those eyes that were neither blue nor green.

"You were supposed to be here _fifteen_ minutes ago!"

"So? People are late sometimes. You can't expect every one to be on time at all times!"

"You did that on purpose!"

"Care to prove it, Wood?" Lily echoed his words from the other day, now losing all pretence.

"Mount your broom, Potter" Wood instructed as he turned towards the awaiting crowd of hopeful chasers.

Lily mounted her broom and started going through the normal tests that a chaser has to go through – flying around the pitch at break neck speed, she finished first.

She looked down to find Wood smiling in a pleased manner.

_Wait till we get down to it, Wood._

As Lily mounted her broom for the last test, scoring against Wood, she had a smirk on her face which worried Hugo.

"What is she planning? That smirk isn't an indication of any thing good"

"She wouldn't tell me. It seems that…….._what in heavens name is she doing?_"

_Take that Wood _Lily thought as the quaffle soared right past the vigilant keeper and………..missed the hoops by a metre or so.

_The days of Lily Potter playing by the rules are over. _

_When it's a matter of pride, the unconventional becomes essential._

Seeing Wood's eyes narrow with suspicion gave her a queer sort of satisfaction.

And thus went the other four goals, not even going any where near the hoops.

_Let's see what you do now, Wood_ Lily thought as she dismounted the broom.

She was sure that Wood had realized her plan as soon as the first goal had been missed. She was also certain that Wood couldn't afford to lose her from the team, what with there being two new chasers in the team already.

What happened next amazed not only Lily, but also the entire gathering of people there.

There had been nine people trying out for the position of Chaser who had come till the last round, excluding Lily.

Lily had been the first to go for it since she had had quite a lot of experience scoring against Wood and she had already decided _not_ to score.

The other nine chasers were alarmed seeing Lily Potter, _The_ Lily Potter fail to score.

Their shock surmounted as they each tried and failed to score even _one_ goal against Wood.

Wood played his best that day, guarding the hoops as a dragon might guard its eggs.

As Wood spiraled down to land, he met Lily's eyes and the expression in his eyes was smug right before they turned into fury.

"Let's continue the session after ten minutes. Take a break guys" He said to the rest of the Chasers and turning to Lily, he hissed, "Come with me"

As Wood led her towards the stands on the opposite side of the pitch, Lily said, "If you're going to reproach me….."

"Reproach? _Reproach, _Potter? Why, I could merrily murder you for what you're playing on me"

"Kettle calling the pot black?"

"Look, Potter. I know you're angry, but, risking your position on the team? That was some thing I hadn't expected from you. Way below the belt"

"Don't you _dare_ talk about below the belt, Wood! You had no right to….to……spoil my date the way you did"

"He's not right for you" Wood's reply was low and feeble.

"Since when did you care about the worth of my dates?" Lily retorted scathingly.

"I…………"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Some thing has happened" Brianna noted as she watched the two return from the stands.

Wood was looking subdued, grave and yet, there was a line of happiness in his face.

Lily, on the other hand, looked miffed and triumphant.

"Those two can pull the most curious combinations of expressions"

As they watched the tryouts resume, it appeared as if Lily was on a high. The goals she scored sailed past Wood even before he had the chance to spot their direction.

"Wow! What happened?"

"No idea! Look she scored all five"

True, Lily had scored on all her five attempts with ease.

Lily landed and, without even waiting to see the others, went to the changing rooms.

As soon as Wood had finished announcing the new team, he began to gather the balls to place them in the crate.

Just as Lily came out of the locker rooms and before either Hugo or Brianna could corner Wood or Lily,

Professor Longbottom was seen approaching the pitch.

"Lily! Branwen! My office. Now!"

"Uh oh! They are in trouble. Uncle Neville looks pretty angry. They're in for it this time"

"What did you expect? That they could get away with pulling that stunt?" Bri asked in surprise.

A/n: So, what do you think?

Any guesses as to what could have happened at the stands?

What would Neville have to say?

Will the two be punished?

Your suggestions and ideas are highly appreciated.

Review, please!!!!!!!!!!!

_Preview of the next chapter:_

"_What!"_

"_No way! Professor, you can't do this to us!"_

"_I'm sorry this has to be the way, but you two need to learn that you can't bring you personal feuds into the game. There is some thing called the moral of the game and it's not to be compromised. You may leave"_

Till the next time!!!!!!!!!!


	4. Fights and the aftermath

**Disclaimer: Have you read my writing? Do I even seem a bit near JK's talents? Honestly, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters!!!!!!!!**

Chapter 4: Fights and the aftermath

As Neville or, Professor Longbottom lead the two towards his office, for the first time in history, complete silence reigned between the two. Both of them were too concerned about their punishments to blame the other.

On reaching the office, Professor Longbottom sat in his chair and instructed the two to take the remaining two seats.

"As both of you know why you are here, I don't think it necessary for me to elaborate. Quidditch has been played in Hogwarts ever since its inception, as a symbol of Unity and Co-operation among the houses. The game itself signifies morality and team spirit. I'm sorry to say that my own house students have neither of these qualities. If you love the game, you play it, not for personal gains, but for your own happiness and satisfaction. Both of you are very skilled players. I'd be blind not to accept that but; you have not the spirit of sportsmanship. I cannot allow this to continue for then, the very integrity of the game will be spoilt. Hence, I'll have to ban the both of you from Quidditch for the rest of the month"

"What!"

"No way! Professor, you can't do this to us!"

"I'm sorry this has to be the way, but you two need to learn that you can't bring your personal feuds into the game. There is some thing called the moral of the game and it's not to be compromised. You may leave"

The two, dejected, left the office and started for their common room.

As the two were returning to the common room, Lily looked at Wood's face, to find it grave and thoughtful. She could almost hear his train of thoughts.

_We'll not have enough time for practice – We'll lose the Quidditch Cup – I'll lose my career – I'll be a failure -………_

Before he could enter the common room, with the intention of cheering him up, she placed a hand on his shoulder to make him stop and look at her.

She looked up into his eyes to find them guarded and questioning. The twinkle in them had vanished entirely.

"Look Bran, I know this is going to hamper us in getting the Quidditch Cup, but look on the bright side of it, at least we will be there for the first match against Hufflepuff!"

"Bright side! Bright side, Potter?" he bit back as he shrugged her hand off his shoulder.

Lily watched on, dumb struck by the hatred in his voice as he continued.

"You know what will happen now? Do you know how a fortnight's ban from Quidditch is gonna make my record look like? Of course, not! You're Lily Potter! _Pretty pampered selfish princess Potter _who doesn't care about any thing or any body else other than herself" he said even as he saw the concern in her eyes turn into anger at his accusation and then some thing entirely else; hurt.

He had hurt her, pretty badly if the expression in her eyes and the manner in which she spoke were any indicators.

"I'm sorry, Wood," she mumbled even as she climbed the portrait hole and went past the entire house, which had gathered at the sight of the commotion.

Wood's eyes immediately found the one's of the one person he knew would comprehend him, Hugo.

Hugo shook his head but his eyes shone with understanding and anxiety.

"Let's go, Wood. We need to decide what to do with the practices" he said as he steered Wood away from the staring crowd and the place where he stood, too shocked by his own words to even recognize that he was at the verge of breaking down.

Brianna, though, was an entirely different story. She was not only angry with Wood for hurting Wood but she was equally mad with Hugo for supporting him.

As the days wore on, the Gryffindor common room turned deadly silent. The usual cheerful banter between the two, which had been some thing of a daily occurrence, had stopped entirely and it appeared that it had affected not only their friends but also the entire house.

The two in question, on the other hand, were oblivious to the reactions of those around them as they were in their own worlds, Lily, living back that memory of the pure hatred in his eyes as he accused her and Branwen, revisiting that memory, torturing himself with the expression in her eyes as punishment for hurting her.

The two seemed to have come to the same conclusion without even speaking to each other; avoid the other person. When walking through corridors; during meals and even if they were partnered together in classes the two refused to acknowledge each other.

That's how it would appear to an outsider. To some one who had known them, it would be plain that they hadn't recovered an inch from that fateful day. Both of them were in a lot of pain and guilt, in Branwen's case.

It was almost a week and a half since the incident when Bri, fed up, desperate and distressed, sought out Hugo.

As she neared the Quidditch pitch, she saw Hugo high up in the air shouting out instructions to the rest of the team. As soon as he spotted Bri in the stands, he spiraled down so that he was flying at her eye level and asked, "What is it, Bri. Any thing the matter?"

"Oh, nothing, Hugo. Get on with the practice. I'll wait"

"Uh…..okay, then. Can you wait for another half an hour? I'll be able to wrap this up by then"

"Sure"

Hugo, seeing that she was not wearing a cloak and that there was a cold wind blowing, took out his wand and cast a warming charm on her.

"Should make you comfortable" he said as he smiled at her and flew away.

Bri watched on as he wound up the practice and spoke with the team members. She could see that though he lacked the natural flare for leadership that Wood demonstrated, he had his own way of making people listen and obey.

Exactly thirty minutes later, Hugo came to the stands, after he had returned the ball chest and had showered.

"So, fancy seeing you on the quidditch pitch. You don't normally come to watch the practices, do you?" Hugo asked casually as he sat in the seat next to her and faced her.

"No. I was just……….I am just……..I've had enough of these two ignoring each other and being all morose as if the world's gonna get destroyed"

"We can't do any thing for them, Bri. As sorry as I am to say this, when it comes to those two, it's quite a lot more complex than just a clash"

"Why? Every one has fights with others! Even you and I have had our disagreements! Don't we solve them in a few days?"

"That's the problem, Bri. Those two are extremely strong willed and independent but they rely upon each other even on the most basic level. That's what happens when two people like these refuse to see some thing right before them. They need each other. You see how they are now. Do you think Lily will brood so much if she had Bran teasing her? You think Bran would suffer so much if he had to think of new ways to irk Lily? And not just that. You have seen the two when they plan strategies. They can almost read each other's minds. I never believed that some one could read each other's thoughts so perfectly before I saw them together. That's the sole reason for their stubbornness"

"What do you mean?"

"Lily knows that Bran regrets what he said. She knows that he will keep away from her for life if that'll make her feel better. Bran knows Lily is hurt pretty badly. He knows that he should be the first one to apologize. They are torn between their own emotions and that of the other's"

"So why doesn't Wood apologize? And what does Lily have to do with his quidditch career?" Bri argued, ever the faithful friend.

"Trust me when I tell you this, Lily has every thing to do with any thing and every thing in Bran's life, much less his career"

"I thought Wood's life circled around Quidditch!"

"Any body would think that, the way he obsesses over it. And they would be right, to an extent. Did Lily ever tell you the entire story of the Dementor attack, did she tell you what happened after?"

"No, but how is that relevant with Wood?"

"It all began when the Woods returned from France when we, meaning Lily and I, were three years old, as was Bran. They settled down near Shell Cottage. Whenever we went to visit Dobby's grave and Uncle Bill's, we went there too. Soon, our parents thought it'd be good if the three of us befriended each other. We were the children of the heroes, you see. I'm not boasting. Don't mistake my words for that. We had to be quite careful with who we befriended. At least that's what our parents felt"

Hugo looked at Bri's face to find it alight with curiosity. She was engrossed with the story.

"We, me and Wood that is, got close but that didn't even match with the rapport that he and Lily had. They always fought, yes. That never changed. I doubt it will in a hundred years but, at the end of their fight, they only got closer. I was even jealous of them at one point of time, I'll admit.

"On the day of the Dementor attack, Bran and I had just arrived and that was why no one noticed the looming Dementors. It was Bran who went looking for Lily and cried out for Uncle Harry as soon as he found her surrounded by Death Eaters. That's what he thought they were. And no one found it fit to correct us"

"What happened after the attack?"

"Lily was in a state of shock when she came in. Uncle Harry was distraught. I've never seen him so shaken up. I was being the fool and tried to cheer her up, without success. No one had noticed Bran standing by the window until Lily walked up to him. He was the one she sought out. That was the first time he showed that he really cared for her. He was the one who brought her out of her state. He took one look at her and commented that the dementors looked better than her"

"You call that caring for her?"

"Wait till you hear the entire thing. Lily, being the stubborn girl that she was, slapped him. Then, a fight broke out"

"Didn't any one try to stop them?"

"Don't you see? That was what every one was trying to do! Make her react; make sure that she came out of that shocked state. Uncle Harry was quite astonished"

"Of course! Why wouldn't he be? Branwen Wood was fighting with his daughter!" Bri said, still unconvinced.

"Oh, not that. He had never before seen Lily fight with any one. Even you know that she's generally even tempered and not easily incensed. Then, after they had tired themselves out, guess what they did?"

"What, they ignored each other like they are now?"

"No. They rolled on the floor in laughter. For almost a year after that, we played games centering dementors. Bran made sure Lily won every one of them. And then one day, he learnt that the death Eaters were actually dementors. You should have seen him holler at Uncle Harry. It was quite a sight"

"He shouted at Mr. Potter!"

"Yeah! Told him straight to his face that he didn't care that he had saved the entire bloody world. To this day, Uncle Harry………"

"Hates him?"

"Respects him for that. Not many can look farther than the Boy who saved the world. He told Lily too. He hates keeping any thing from her"

"Oh! But what does that have to do with Quidditch?"

"You sure you're up for a long story? Then, let's take a walk. There is still an hour or two for curfew"

As they passed Hagrid's hut, Hugo whistled to Fang who came tottering from the back of the hut.

"Hey there, fang. Been guarding the pumpkin patch?"

The dog barked in response and came along when they continued walking.

"So, where should I begin? Ah, yes. The Woods. You know quite well that they are well known for Quidditch. His father, the well-known Oliver Wood was the captain of the Puddlemere United for nearly a decade before he retired to coach for them. His mother, Katie Bell Wood was the best chaser of Holyhead Harpies before Aunt Ginny. And of course, Drake is the keeper for Puddlemere now, and is well on his way to becoming the captain. But, none of them live and breathe the game, as Bran does. Sure, they love Quidditch, play extremely well but none of them have the extreme passion for it that Bran does. At one point of time, it was as if he had forgotten the entire world and only Quidditch existed"

"Was this when we were in second or third year?"

"Yes"

"Oh, I remember Lily complaining that she, in spite of being in the team, had better things to do than spend all her time pouring over quidditch books"

"Ah, yes. Of course" Hugo mused as he continued "So, now you see why Wood is so……torn. He is caught in between his affection for Lily and Quidditch"

"Why should he have to choose between the two?"

"I don't know, Bri. That's what has been troubling him every time. He has got it in his mind that Lily is preventing him from concentrating on Quidditch"

"That's rubbish! Was that why he shouted at her that way?"

"Yeah! He was at the height of confusion that day. You see, that day of the tryouts, he hadn't expected Lily to fight back the way she did. Sure, he knew that he had to be careful of what he ate and drank for Lily will get back at him. He had no doubts about that. He had never expected that, though. He wasn't prepared for it. The fact that Lily was ready to give up her position in the team for revenge shook him up. During that break, we saw him take her to the stands didn't we? He told her some thing there. He wouldn't tell me what but it affected both of them. Then, right after the tryouts, he was banned from play. You see how he'll think now? It was a battle between blaming Lily for taking away his position from the team and blaming Quidditch for straining his relationship with Lily"

"Obviously Quidditch won"

"No. Lily did. She always does. That's what troubled him deeply that day"

"Why did he yell at her that way then?"

"He was afraid. He admitted to that himself. He said and I quote, 'It scares me, Hugo. The extent of influence she has over me. I'm afraid that if she wanted me to give up Quidditch I would and then……….'"

"And then?"

"He never said what but I guess he's afraid that Lily'll leave him"

"So? He can go on without Lily, can't he?"

"No, he can't. I told you already, Bri. If there is one thing they prize, it's the control they have over themselves. It doesn't do well for either of them to realize that some one else can sway their wills"

"You mean Lily's that way too?"

"Don't tell me you haven't seen the signs. Why do you think she avoided that exchange program back in fifth year?"

"That did confuse me. Why did she so suddenly decide that she didn't want to go?"

"Because she had always assumed that she'd have Bran for company. When she got to know that he hadn't even applied, she gave it up and pranked him right up to hell for the rest of the year"

"She was angry with him for making her give up that opportunity" Bri said wisely.

"And that time in sixth year when she refused to go for that Hogsmeade visit"

"Bran was hurt and in the Hospital Wing! She had been moping for days that she had hurt him! Wow! I'd have been blind to not have noticed this!"

"She was in the Hospital Wing the entire time and had threatened Bran that she'd kill him if he told any one that she was there. I've never seen the guy happier than after she said that. He was ablaze with happiness by the time we came back"

"Hmm……so, do you think they will get over this fight as easily? Have you ever tried to make the two get together?"

"No. Yes"

"What?"

"Back in fifth year, do you remember, they were partnered in every single class?"

"That was you?" Bri asked incredulously.

"A simple charm was all it took" Hugo replied with a smirk quite unlike him.

"That didn't work did it?"

"No" Hugo sighed, " They fought even more than usual. I gave up after that. Let's hope they work it out themselves"

"If you do that, they'll be hundred by the time they realize they……….love each other" Love seemed too commonplace a word for them now.

"May be. But if we meddle, they'll never forgive us"

"What _do_ you say we do?" Bri asked, exasperated.

"Don't worry. Some thing will happen to bring them together" Hugo assured, not realizing how perilous that the 'some thing' was gonna be.

"Okay. Let's go. It's already curfew"

"Bri……One other thing. Could you………Will you……….."

Bri looked at the stuttering Hugo with anticipation.

"Yes, Hugo?" A thread of hope laced her voice.

"Can you help me with transfiguration?"

Brianna felt as if the thread was snapped in two.

"Sure, Hugo"

"Okay, Thanks"

A/n: Hey guys!!!!!!!!!!! This is the longest chapter I've _ever_ written! I'm soo happy now. I wasn't so sure with this chapter. I don't think it turned out the way I had pictured it but it wasn't so bad. So, there you go. The next chapter. If you think I could have done some thing different, have made some thing better; please don't hesitate to tell me. Your reviews make me a better writer!!!!!!!!!!

So, as I always say, review!!!!!!!!!!!

_Sneak peak of the next chapter:_

_What was she __**doing**__?_

_Why was she pummeling towards the………._

"_Lily!!!!"_

_The frantic call of Wood was all she heard before she went under._

Till the next chapter!!!!!!


	5. The 'Accident' and waking up

**Disclaimer : I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters……**

**A/n: I know I don't do author's notes on top of the chapter but I don't think dedications should be made at the end, right? What I actually wanted to say was that**

**I dedicate this chapter to Nikki and AdFinemAdInfinitum who have been with me right from when this story was a crappy chapter. I wouldn't have come this far with fanfic writing if it wasn't for your reviews. Thank you soooooo much!!!!!!!!!!**

Chapter 5: The 'Accident' and waking up

It had been two days since Halloween and both Wood and Lily had returned to the team. It was the first practice after that and Hugo was anxious that some thing bad would happen and had asked for Brianna to be present there. He soon found that his fear was groundless; the two ignored each other as usual. Bran didn't even look at her when he gave the instructions.

Lily, on the other hand, stood to the side as if she wasn't sure she should be there and when practice began, she took the centre position offered without question.

Through all this, Hugo couldn't spot even an inch of difference in their flying.

The first half hour of the practice was just warm up, which passed without incident.

The next hour was when the real practice began and Lily and the other two Chasers started practicing various plays. Lily especially made it sure that the other two felt comfortable as a part of the team except for the one time she missed the approaching quaffle.

Wood was standing on the ground and monitoring his team mates when he noticed the quaffle soar through the hoops and land right into the Black Lake.

He looked, alarmed, as he saw Lily race after the quaffle and it appeared that her broom had gone out of control.

_What was she __**doing**__?_

_Why was she pummeling towards the Black Lake?_

_Why did it feel like she had just woken up from a bad dream?_

"Lily!!!!"

The frantic call of Wood was all she heard before she went under.

"Will she be alright, Poppy?"

"Of course, . She should be waking up any time now"

"I'm up" Lily muttered as she slowly opened her eyes and immediately afterwards shut it, not being able to tolerate the bright sunlight streaming through the bed hangings.

She began to sit up and was immediately helped by a person, whom she soon found was her mother.

Just as soon, she was suffocated with hugs from her entire family, consisting of Her Mum, James, Al, Grandma Molly, Grandpa Arthur, Uncles Bill, Charlie, Percy, George and Ron, Aunts Fleur, Pamela, Penelope, Daphne and Hermione, Cousins Victoire, Teddy, Dominique, Lewis, Molly, Lucy, Fred, Roxanne, Rose, Scorpius, Bri and of course Nessie and Angel who were Albus' and James' girlfriends respetively.

After she had had enough hugs to suffocate her for a life time, Harry came forward and sat on the side of her bed.

"How are you feeling, Lily?"

"I'm fine, Dad. There was no need for _all_ of you to come!" Lily muttered, self conscious of all of them looking at her.

"Do you even know how long you have been out?"

Lily turned to see her mother only now noticing that she had tear tracks down her face.

Immediately, Harry got up from his place on the bed and took Ginny away from the crowd so that she could calm herself before she murdered her daughter for scaring her like that.

"So? How long have I been out?"

"Five days" It was Rose who answered.

"_Days!_ But I was just drowned, right?"

The last thing she had remembered was hearing Wood shout out her name and splashing into the Black Lake……..

The Black Lake! The very thought of those terrifying moments in the ice cold water made her shiver.

"Yeah, but, since you, you know, don't like cold water, your body automatically resisted against it and you went into a sort of…….limbo where your body refused to react to the surroundings" Al explained with the expertise of one who had seen a lot of bizarre cases.

"How did I wake up now?" Lily asked and looked around for Hugo "Where's Hugo, by the way? Don't tell me he isn't even here!"

"No! He and Wood had just left when you woke up. These three……" Rose said indicating Brianna, "refused to leave your side even if, what did he say now?" Rose asked, smiling.

"Even if the entire Auror Department came here to uproot us. And we would do that" Brianna declared and sat at the spot Harry had previously vacated.

"So I'm fine now? When can I leave the Hospital Wing?"

"Tomorrow, Miss Potter" Madame Pompfrey said as she pushed past the wall of relatives surrounding Lily to reach her.

"Drink this. You people on the other hand, you should be leaving, now that she is awake"

And one by one, all of them left the room after wishing Lily a speedy recovery, or in Roxanne's case, smuggling her, a shrunk box of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products.

The only ones left behind were Al, James and Bri when Harry and Ginny came back.

"Are you alright, Mum?"

"Yes I'm fine, Lily. You have to be extra careful from now on, okay?"

"Why?"

"Just be careful. Your Mum's just stressed, Lily. She needs her rest. Take care, dear" Harry kissed her on the cheek as he left with Ginny.

"What are they hiding?" Lily questioned as soon as her parents' head had disappeared.

"Nothing. I gotta go, Lily. See ya during Christmas break" Albus took the easy way out and escaped before she could question him further.

"Are you going to stall the question too?" Lily asked, turning to James.

"No. It has some thing to do with the attack ten years ago, Lily. That's all I know. You can ask Brianna or Hugo or better yet, Bran. He was the one who noticed you tumbling towards the Black Lake. Take care, Lily. For every one's sake" James said as he too, left the Hospital Wing.

Lily turned to see Brianna watching Lily intently.

"What is it, Bri?"

"Why did you race into the lake? You know about your aversion towards any thing that's cold, don't you? What were you attempting? And during practice, nonetheless. Thank goodness Wood saw you in time and was close enough to dive in…."

"Wood saved me?"

"Of course! What did you expect him to do? Let you drown?" Brianna asked incredulously.

"No, I……..Never mind. Tell me what has been going on. Every one was more anxious than they should have been. What really happened?"

"You don't recall any thing?"

"No. I just remember falling into the lake and then, there was Wood's voice some where calling me and then, a blank" Lily mumbled, irritated.

"I don't know what happened exactly but you were spiraling towards the Black Lake alarmingly fast, and you seemed to be in a trance. Wood was on the ground and jumped in as soon as you did. He told us that you pulled him in with you" 

"What!"

"Yeah! By the time he broke the surface, you were unconscious. We took you here and it's been five days since" Brianna finished with a sigh.

"You flunked classes?"

"I couldn't be bothered about classes when my friend was dying now could I?" Brianna asked casually, "Oops! It's alright Lily. You shouldn't be getting up much less hugging people like this" Brianna's voice was muffled as Lily hugged her.

"I can't tell you how much this means to me, Bri. I'm so happy today" Lily exclaimed as she sat back down on the bed.

"Lily, listen to this before Hugo comes back. About Bran………"

"What about him?" Lily asked noncommittally.

"He thinks you pulled that _stunt_ as he calls it, on purpose"

"Why would I do that?"

"I dunno but that's what he thinks. He's quite angry with you. So, if he says some thing offending, please don't react too much, okay?"

"You mean that I shouldn't shout back at him when he's going to list out my faults? Cause that's exactly what he'll do to make me feel guilty about whatever I did"

"What did you do now?" Hugo asked as he stepped into the Wing with Wood reluctantly trailing behind.

"How are you Potter? Strong enough for another attempt? Or would you need another person's help this time?"

"Even if I do, it won't be _you_ I'll ask" Lily replied just as hotly.

"Afraid I'll save you again?"

"May be I should ask you for help next time. Then, I could drown you. That would be one good thing for the world that I did"

"Don't you even _think_ of it. It was enough that you tried it once"

"For the last time! I did not try to kill myself!" Lily shouted, exasperated.

"Yes, you were trying to take a quick shower in the Lake weren't you?" Wood asked sarcastically.

"Look at it this way, Wood. Why would I try some thing as foolish as a suicide attempt? That too in front of the whole Quidditch team? Give me some credit. I'm at least smarter than that!"

"You mean you didn't do that on purpose?" Wood asked, now turning serious.

"That was what I was trying to tell you from the beginning you dolt!"

"Wait! This is serious! Hugo, what happened to Lily's broom?"

"She flew out of it before she fell into the lake. I collected it afterwards. Why?"

"I need to see it. We need to check it for tampering"

"What for?" Lily asked, confused, "And you are _not_ taking my broom apart!"

"Look Lily, if what happened to your broom wasn't intentional then it must have been due to….."

"Did it ever occur to you that it might have been accidental?" Lily asked trying to stop Wood from coming to hasty conclusions.

"When was the last time you lost control of a broom, Potter?"

"Uh…….."

"Did you feel like you were losing control when you crashed into the lake?"

"I don't remember any thing! All I remember is playing with the other two Chasers and then, landing into the lake. It feels as if some one apparated me there"

"See? There's some thing fishy going on here"

"Alright, Wood. Have your fun trying to find some thing that's not there. But don't tell me I didn't warn you when nothing turns up" Lily said, dismissing the issue.

"Take care, Potter. The match is in a week. I need you to be at your best by then"

"What do you expect me to do when you have my broom under siege?"

"You can always use mine" Wood offered her a smile as he left the Hospital Wing.

"That guy has an answer for _every thing!_" Lily exclaimed, annoyed that she couldn't find a way around this one.

Just then, the school bell rang, signaling the end of morning classes.

"Are you coming, Bri? It's time for lunch and Lily's gonna be alright by herself, right Lily?"

"Yeah Yeah. Desert me for food! Great friends I've got"

"Hey!"

"I was kidding. Go ahead. And attend classes. Some one needs to tell me what I missed"

"Wood will be able to help you there. He attended all the classes"

"I thought he was here the entire time! That's what Rose told me"

"Don't tell any one this. Bran smuggled a time turner from the Headmaster's office" Hugo whispered.

"How!"

"He was called to the Headmaster's office for describing what happened. He said he snitched it then"

"Oh! Okay"

"See you in the evening Lils!"

"'Kay"

As soon as the two left, Lily slumped back into the bed and fell into a fitful sleep where she dreamt of broomsticks chasing her and Wood hitting her with stacks of parchment.

A/n: Hey every body! I know you'll be surprised that I'm updating when I said I won't be able to for a fortnight. Well, let's just say I was able to escape the clutches of work momentarily.

Anyway, I know this chapter isn't as good as it should be but I'll blame it on the lack of time I had for editing it. I promise that the next chapter will be good.

As always, review!!!!!!!!!!!

_Preview of the next chapter:_

"_What are you doing here, Wood? At this time of the night!"_

"_Shh………I just came to see whether you were alright" Wood replied, looking everywhere but at her._

"_You're lying" Lily stated flatly._

"_Look, your broom was tampered with and I………"_

"_It might have been some one from the other house!" _

"_Ostendo Prius Magus"_

"_What are you……..Huh!" Lily gasped._

See ya!!!!!!!!


	6. Tampering spells and home work

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters……**

Chapter 6: Tampering spells and home work

"Yes, Madame Pompfrey. If she doesn't wake up in a half hour, I'll leave" Bran's reassuring voice was the first thing that Lily heard as she woke up from her sleep.

Looking around, she found that the sun had set and guessed that it must be around eight pm in the evening.

Lily, deciding to irk Wood a bit more, settled back on her bed and closed her eyes and she wasn't disappointed.

A few minutes later, out of a corner of her eye, she could see Wood slumping in the chair by her bed and muttering to himself.

She shifted her position infinitesimally to hear what he was saying and vaguely heard some thing rude about herself before the quilt shifted and she rolled off the bed right on to the floor.

"Eavesdropping, Potter?" Wood asked with a smirk as he lent her a hand and she felt like slapping him for his arrogance and herself for causing embarrassment.

"What are you even doing here, Wood? At this time of the night too!"

"Shh………I just came to see whether you were alright" Wood replied, looking everywhere but at her.

"You're lying" Lily stated flatly.

"Look, your broom was tampered with and I………"

"Really?"

"Yeah! It contained the spell used to misdirect brooms. It was used in the five hundred and seventy second Quidditch World Cup when…."

"It might have been some one from the other house! Simple as that!"

"_Ostendo Prius Magus_"

"What are you……..Huh!" Lily gasped.

"This is the spell to reveal the previous spells used on a person"

"Doesn't finite incantum work?"

"Not on humans"

"What _is_ this spell that was used on me?" Lily asked, shuddering at the thought of some one placing her under a spell.

"Wait"

"_Literae Pestis_"

And words began to appear at the tip of Bran's wand.

"Összekavar és Ellenőrzés? What does that mean?"

"No idea. But we can ask your Aunt"

"May be. We will see. You better leave now"

"And let you be in peace? I don't think so"

"Are you nuts?"

"May be…….." he drawled, watching her incredulity with amusement.

"Suit yourself" Lily muttered and settled down in her bed.

After a few minutes, she peeked from under her closed eyes to find Wood still sitting there, staring at her intently.

"Aren't you leaving?"

"No. I'm staying here. Some one needs to look out for you. It's my turn until the morning"

"You mean the others know about this!"

"Just me, Bri and Hugo"

"I'm not gonna jump out of the window you know?"

"You are not getting rid of me, Potter. There are two ways you can deal with this. Either you complain throughout the night and lose your beauty sleep or you settle down and rest"

"You can't be here if you aren't hurt. This is the infirmary! I'm sure there are rules saying, I don't know, like "No one who isn't hurt can stay in the Infirmary""

"I'm sure I can return with the cloak"

"The Cloak! Why that traitor Hugo! Wait till I get out of here"

"Any way, the fact is, I'm not going any where"

"Why are you even bothered about me? Don't spout that 'I'm your best Chaser' crap. I'm not buying it"

"What I told you that day of tryouts stands, Lily. You matter to me. Don't ask me why. I'm neither aware nor willing to think about the reason"

"But you are perfectly willing to torture me by being here"

"Of course! Nothing makes my day brighter than seeing your pretty little face all flustered and pouting"

"I don't pout!" Lily said even as she folded her arms and her mouth formed a perfect pout.

Only when Wood raised an eyebrow did she realize that she was pouting and she hurriedly rearranged her expression to one of fury.

"Leave me alone Wood. Why couldn't the others have come today?"

"Bri and Hugo were having a hard time coping with the amount of home work so I left them to deal with it. By the way, this is your share of it"

"Just this much? I'm lucky aren't I?"

"Wait until you see the entire thing. _Engorgio_"

"What! This isn't happening to me!"

Before her were stacks of paper which towered high above her and swayed threateningly.

Wood watched, amused, while Lily fretted about the work load for a full five minutes. All the while, her vibrant blue green eyes remained widened and glazed over in horror.

"How in Merlin's name do they expect me to finish this?"

"I dunno. May be I could help"

"May be you could but will you?" Lily asked with anticipation.

"Of course! I can't have you missing practices because of this!"

"That was one time in fifth year!"

"Still! You bunked _practice_ to finish _home work!_"

"You are the only being on earth to whom that comment would make sense"

"Why, it is true enough. Who would consider home work above Quidditch?"

"Every body except you?" Lily asked questioningly.

"Whatever. Do you want my help or not, Potter?"

Lily, knowing there was no hope for her if she refused, replied with an "Okay! But you must give me your word that you won't irritate me this way"

"I'll do no such thing" Wood replied and leaned back in his chair, making himself comfortable.

"Hmph!" was all the response he got before Lily settled down in bed for the second time that day, all of a sudden feeling sleepy.

"Why is it you that I always see before I sleep?" Lily mumbled in a low voice though Wood was able to hear her.

"May be then you'd have sweet dreams"

"Hmm"

"Sleep Tight, Lily" were the last words she heard before she drifted off into dream land.

The next time she woke up, Lily saw Wood lying awkwardly in the chair where he had sat the day before. Looking at him gave her a sudden, unexpected burst of joy and she covered him with a duvet before she settled back in bed.

Outside, the full moon shone innocently and the stars twinkled merrily, unaware of the trials and tribulations that were yet to hit the couple sleeping peacefully.

A/n: Hey there every one!!!!!!!! I've finally managed to conquer the beast!!!!!!!!!! Though I might not update as fast as I used to, I might be able to squeeze in a chapter or two while I'm free. What do you think of this chapter? Was it okay? Too abrupt? Too lengthy? Too any thing? Tell me through a review!!!!!!!!!!

Suggestions are always welcome, even if they say 'You are a crappy writer'

Till the next time!!!!!!!!!!!

_Preview of the next chapter:_

"_I regret ever agreeing to your help!"_

"_Lower your voice, Potter! You'll wake the entire house"_

"_Afraid they'll see you with me?"_

"_Sure! I can't have people thinking that I'm helping you, can I now?"_

"_Why not?"_

"_Do you want the entire school to gossip about the 'study date' that we had"_

"_That is sick!"_

"_So glad we agree. Now let's get to work"_

See ya!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	7. Tutoring and Green Roses

**Disclaimer : I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters……**

Chapter 7: Tutoring and Green roses

Hey there every body! In case you had forgotten who I am, I'm Branwen Demetri Wood, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and the arch nemesis of the one and only Lily Luna Potter.

"I hate you, Wood!"

Did I tell you she was released from the infirmary a few days ago? No? Yeah, she was. And I'm regretting the day she was let out of the hospital wing. No, not the one at Hogwarts. The one she was born in, actually.

"I regret ever agreeing to your help! Are you even listening to me?"

What is she blabbering about, you ask? You remember how she landed herself in the infirmary? I, being the gentleman that I am (never tell Potter I told you that, after all she tells you her secrets, why shouldn't I? And, no, I'm not competing with her. Not at all), offered to help her with homework and what does Potter do?

Shout at me as if its all my fault her teacup is sprouting horns instead of turning into a cat.

"Lower your voice, Potter! You'll wake the entire house"

I mean, does she actually _want_ the entire house to know that I'm being all nice and dare I say it………..soft?

"Afraid they'll see you with me?"

Of course, Potter! Its not as if we have ever been seen together!

"Sure! I can't have people thinking that I'm helping you, can I now?"

"Why not?"

See what I mean? How naïve could that girl get?

"Do you want the entire school to gossip about the 'study date' that we had?"

There. Little miss innocent is innocent no more. It does feel good, bringing people down from their clouds of purity, that is.

"**That. Is. sick**!"

Now, there's the Potter I knew!!!!!!

"So glad we agree. Now let's get to work"

"What am I doing wrong?"

You're speaking too loud, sitting in the wrong posture, your eyes are funny……..I guess the shorter question would be what _is_ she doing right, right?

"You are trying to touch the cup, Potter. Don't do that unless you want your transfigured cat to be blind"

"Oh! Okay!"

What! No come backs? No calling me a git? Wow! That girl's turning virtuous! We can't have that now, can we?

"Or it might be as simple as your face, Potter"

Poor uninformed Potter! No, don't look at me like a lost child, Potter! Dang it! Now I can't insult her any more! She _knows_ that look works all the time! Doesn't she?

"Nothing, Potter. Let's continue with the spell"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Aw! Aren't they cute together? Pity we have to wake them up"

"They aren't 'together', Bri. They just fell asleep while studying"

"Be sensitive for once, Hugh! Any way, how do you suggest we wake them up?"

"Should we? It'd be a sight to watch when they wake up"

"They'd have our hides if we let them be"

"You're dead set on being the spoil sport" Hugo whined as he stomped up to the dozing duo and began poking Bran.

After one too many pokes on Hugo's side and a few bruises on Wood's shoulder, they managed to wake Bran up.

"Wha……Where am I?"

"In the middle of a quidditch match. You fell asleep, don't you remember?" Hugo asked sarcastically.

"Ha ha. Very funny, Hugo. Must have fallen asleep studying………What is _she_ doing here!"

"I was thinking of asking you the same thing" Hugo replied and folded his hands in an eerily McGonagall like fashion, down to the raised left eyebrow.

"Uh……….We were discussing tactics and fell asleep. Yeah! That's what happened" Wood replied though he found that his voice was a bit above normal.

"Whatever, mate. Why hasn't she waken up yet?"

"Nothing gets through to Lily when she sleeps" Brianna complained and turned to Wood.

"You wake her up," she said as she began climbing the stairs.

"Be quick mate. If you don't want the entire house to see you"

Just as the two entered their respective dormitories, Lily opened one eye and looked at Wood.

"Are they gone?"

"Yes, Potter. You can stop tyring to act like you are sleeping"

"Okay! And, thanks, for not telling them"

"Don't mention it, Potter. I won't be so generous the next time"

"Oh, and did you expect me to grovel at your feet for your 'generosity', your highness? Save it, Wood. You helped me. I thanked you. Done. This doesn't change any thing"

As Lily alighted the stairs, Bran muttered, "Oh! But this _does_ change every thing, Lily"

In his hand was the teacup, which she had been struggling with, which was now a perfect little kitten with blue green eyes, which reminded him of……….

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was an hour after the last Quidditch practice before the game against Ravenclaw. The win against Hufflepuff hadn't faced Wood at all and he had immediately begun to worry about the next match against Ravenclaw.

Being the last match before Christmas break, the spirits were high and both the teams were under a lot of pressure.

As Lily was walking towards the castle, an owl came flying out of nowhere and landed on her shoulder. In its beak was a note together with a Rose.

"What is this?" Lily wondered as she releaved the bird of its stuff and the owl soared back into the forbidden forest.

"Who would send me a rose? At this time of the day too? If this is another one of Wood's pranks!"

Turning around, she saw that Wood was shuffling along with Lewis and Molly, laughing about some thing.

It amazed her how he got along flippingly with every body, every body, except her.

"Wood! I'm not falling for your tricks again!" she shouted as she threw the rose along with the note at him.

"What trick?" Wood's voice was full of puzzlement as he jogged up to where Lily was.

"This" she said, indicating the note lying on the floor, "What is it?"

"How should I know? Wait! What is this! This isn't a normal flower!!!"

"Of course not! You tampered with it!"

"No. Let's go into the castle. Fast" he said even as he began to hurry in.

"Look! The rose is actually green!!!!!!!"

"So what?" Lily said, trying to grab the flower back.

"Don't," he warned as he carefully covered the flower with a tissue he took from his pocket.

"Let's go"

"Where?"

"To Headmaster Zabini, of course!"

"What for?"

"I've read about these kind of potions. They can be infused in to practically any thing. The only disadvantage is that that object becomes green in color"

"What's it called? I've never heard of these things"

"I've heard Dad speak of them back when we were in France. It is called the 'Veleno Novus' potion"

"Vele…what?"

"Veleno Novus. Means poison extraordinary"

"Oh! You mean to say that this rose may contain poison"

"It does contain poison, Potter. Mae!"

And the gargoyle stepped aside to let the two in.

Before they could knock on the door, a voice from behind said 'Enter'.

"Professor………"

"Take a seat you two. Give me that rose, . And that letter too . Let me check it for dark spells"

"Professor, Wood here thinks that this rose…….."

"Contain the Veleno Novus potion. And he is right. Good observation, . Twenty points to Gryffindor. Now, I believe this note is safe to open"

Lily, upon receiving the note opened it with shaking hands.

"For a speedy recovery" Lily read out the script.

"I don't understand, Professor. Why do they target Lily? If they want to get back at , why don't they find some other way?"

"She is the easiest to reach, "

"At Hogwarts?"

"'s is quite safer than the school and an Auror can't be attacked that easily"

"So they target her?"

"That is purely my guess, . No one but the sender knows why here is being aimed at. In the mean time, I'd like to ask some thing of you"

"Yes, Professor?"

"Stay with Lily all the time. It goes without saying that you can confide in and take the help of and Miss. McKenzie"

"Sure, Professor"

"That will be all, I guess. If nothing prevents us, I think its time we joined the school for dinner, don't you?"

A figure watched from the shadows of the forest, as the lights brightened up the castle making it seem afloat.

_So the Wood boy saved you this time? Let's see how you handle this one, Potter!_

A/n: Do you remember me? The crappy author who used to update more often than necessary? Yeah! Thst's me and I have returned from my work.

Sorry guys, but I'll update regularly from now on.

Do you think the Wood POV was ok? You thought it was unnecessary? Dull?

What did you think of the chap in general? Am I taking it too fast? Too slow? Too boring? Tell me through a ……….you-know-what!!!!

Review!!!!!!Review!!!!!!Review!!!!!!!!!!!

They make me writer faster!!!!!!(or slower, if you wish it)

_Preview of the next chapter:_

"_I'm not going to the ball with you Wood and that's final"_

"_Lily……….."_

"_Why can't you find some one else to go with?"_

"_I assure you I'm not asking you 'cause I haven't had offers, Potter. On the contrary, but, I deem it my responsibility to keep my promise to Professor Zabini"_

"_I can go with Bri!"_

"_She'd have got a date by now"_

"_How would you know?"_

"_Seeing as I'm her prospective date's best friend………"_

"_Hugo asked her out?"_

"_Should have"_

"_That's sweeeeeeeeeet!!!!!!_

Till the next time!!!!!!!!!


	8. The Ball and notes

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters……**

Chapter 8: The Ball and Notes

_As per the tradition of Hogwarts, the 'event of the year' will be held on Christmas Eve._

_This year, the event will be a Masquerade ball._

_All students attending are required to be in formal clothes and wear masks_

_We hope you enjoy the event!!!!!!!!_

"A ball? Couldn't they be a _bit_ more creative?" Lily whined after she had finished reading the notice.

"That isn't so bad, is it?" Bri asked while they headed towards the Great Hall for dinner.

Ever since the incident with the green rose, her friends, which now included Wood (unfortunately, in Lily's opinion), had made sure that she was never left alone.

Though it was just Bri and her most of the time, she'd had to put p with Wood's overbearing caution during Quidditch practices.

As much as she hated to admit it, Wood was more entertaining a companion than the other two.

"Of course it is! Now everybody is going to think that they should get a date"

"So?"

"You know how I hate to say no. Now I'll have to say one too many"

"You mean you aren't attending the ball!"

"No! I just meant that I've decided to go alone"

"Lily that isn't…"

"Safe? Oh, _please _don't go into Wood mode!"

"Did I hear my name?"

"Hey Bran!" Bri greeted while Lily just grunted and turned away.

"What's put Miss. Sunshine in such a mood?" Bran asked as he walked alongside them.

"Oh, she's just being impossible again"

"Nothing new. What's it this time?"

"She's decided to go to the ball alone"

"Hey every one!"

_Thanks, Hugo!_ Lily thought as Hugo came down the corridor.

"Could I have a word with you, Bri?"

Suddenly, Hugo seemed nervous and flustered, making Lily raise her eyebrow.

"Sure, Hugo! What about?"

"Let's take a walk?"

_Traitor_ Lily retorted in her head as she was left alone with Wood.

"About the ball, Lily…….."

_Of course he wouldn't have forgotten about it!_

"Yes?"

"Will you go with me?"

"Sorry, I can't?"

"Why not?"

"Because I say so"

"Oh, come on Lily! That's no…."

"I'm not going to the ball with you Wood and that's final"

"Lily……….."

"Why can't you just find some one else to go with?"

"I assure you I'm not asking you 'cause I haven't had offers, Potter. On the contrary, but, I deem it my responsibility to keep my promise to Professor Zabini"

"I can go with Bri!"

"She'd have got a date by now"

"How would you know?"

"Seeing as I'm her prospective date's best friend………"

"Hugo asked her out?"

"Should have"

"That's sweeeeeeeeeet!!!!!!"

"Coming back to our topic……."

"I'm not going out with you"

"It's not as if I'm asking you to battle a dragon wandless!"

"I'd much rather opt for that"

"Did you receive another note?"

Lily took a step back as Wood took a step forward and his voice dropped to a whisper.

"N…No"

"Lying?"

Sighing, Lily pulled out the note she had received yesterday.

_Hope you liked the rose. What would you like next? _

_Remember, I'm always around you…_

Below the note was the symbol of a dementor.

"Lily this is becoming serious. We ought to tell your parents……"

"You'll do no such thing! They have enough on their minds with out this! Mum's shaken up from the lake incident as it is! They'll take me out of Hogwarts if they ever get wind of this. We've told the Headmaster anyway!"

Wood, who had been staring at her the entire time she was protesting, now spoke, "If I'm not to tell your parents, you go to the ball with me. Either way you have to be safe"

And he folded his hands in an its-your-decision-I-have-had-my-say manner.

"Uh! You are a vile, wicked, despicable black mailing……….."

Whatever she had been about to say was cut short as a high pitched shriek of "Branwen!" was heard from the end of the corridor.

"Not again!" Lily heard Wood's mutter before she was struck with the stifling whiff of Mona Myers' perfume.

_Moaning Myrtle more like_ Lily thought as said girl approached the place where they were standing.

"I've been looking all over the castle for you and you are………….What is _she_ doing here?"

"Having a discussion? Or is it difficult for your brain to process even that word?" Lily snapped uncharacteristically.

"Hmph! Actually Wood, I was wondering if you would………"

_Hair twirling, check_

_Batting eyelashes, check_

_Pouting, check_

_Naïve look, check_

_Not working, check………_

Lily was brought back to reality in time to hear Wood decline Myers' offer.

"I'm sorry, Mona but I've already got a date"

"Oh! I'm sure you could have a….."

"No. I'm afraid a change of plans isn't possible"

"Really?"

_If she bats her eye lash one more time, I'll personally make sure she never grows eye lashes ever again!_

"Yes, Mona. Now, if you don't mind, I think Lily and I have a dinner to attend" Wood said as he expertly dragged Lily and himself out of sight of Mona.

"That was close" Wood sighed, as they turned the corridor leading to the Great Hall.

"Hmm……….."

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Huh?"

"Nothing, Lily. Just go back to your musing" Wood shook his head before entering the Great Hall.

_May be I could get out of this without embarrassing myself?_

"Wood!"

"Yeah?"

"You promise you won't tell my parents if I go to the ball with you?"

"For the time being" Wood replied and a smirk was threatening to break out on his face.

"Okay, then"

"Okay what?" Now he was _really_ trying hard not to smirk.

"I'll go with you, you idiot!"

"No need be so snappy, Lils!" Wood laughed as they entered the Great Hall.

_Let's hope I haven't made the biggest mistake of my life._

A/n: Hi every one!!!!!! Another week, another chapter! There you go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As always, review!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. : Look out for the next chap 'The Match of Misery'!!!!!!!!!!!


	9. Match of Misery

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters……**

Chapter 9: The Match of Misery

Soon after they started dinner, the doors opened and a gloomy Bri entered the Great Hall.

Watching her move towards the table in such a depressed manner, Lily turned to Wood, who was also looking at Bri curiously.

"What happened to her?"

"Could Hugo have messed up?"

"I don't think so. He was quite determined to ask her out this time. I don't think that's the matter"

Brianna sat down opposite Lily and Wood and began loading her plate with food. She then proceeded to stare at the plate with distaste and pushed it away.

"You okay, Bri?"

Lily braved her blowing up and asked.

"Huh? What?"

"I asked, are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah! I'm fine"

"'Kay"

Though the two were completely doubtful, they let her explanation slide.

"She'll get over it after a few days" Lily was confident in her assertion.

A few days later, though, when she was walking to Potions with Wood, she said, "We've to do _some thing_! They've been moping around for four days! And we don't even know what about!"

"Hugo wouldn't say what happened. Nothing I tried works! I've never seen him this cheerless. I'm afraid he'll not be able to play well this Saturday"

"I can't believe this! For once I thought you were being caring and thoughtful and you tell me that you're worried about the _Quidditch match!_"

"That doesn't mean I don't care for him!"

"Hmph!"

"Look Lily. I know I some times speak as if Quidditch is the only thing in my life" Wood stopped walking and looked down at Lily who was still looking at him skeptically.

"Some times?"

"Alright! Most often, happy? But, I do have my own priorities, okay?" Wood said and averting his eyes from hers, began walking.

"Like?" Lily asked, and there was a certain strand of hope in her tone.

"My family, for instance? Hugo?"

"Hmm…………."

"Convinced?"

"I'll believe things when I see them. Don't try to distract me. What do we do about those two?"

"Let's give them a few more days to sort things out by themselves. If not, then we'll meddle, okay?"

"Okay? But don't you want them to make up before the match? Wouldn't it improve Hugo's focus?" Lily asked mockingly, now fully recovered from her thoughts.

Wood shook his head, refusing to reply to her digs on his passion towards Quidditch.

"Let's hope this is settled before the ball"

"Afraid it'll ruin our date?"

"Shh……….Some one will hear you. A date with you is already a formula for disaster. I just want some one to keep me sane is all"

"You underestimate me, Lily. What do you know? It may be the best date you've ever had!"

"Not likely"

"So sure?"

"I'm always sure when it concerns you"

"Then I'll just have to change your opinion" Wood said decisively.

"Take your best shot. It takes a lot to change my view"

"We'll see"

A few seconds after they walked away, a form walked out from behind a gargoyle.

_So the pretty Potter snatched Wood? And no one knows? That's not fair…………._

Needless to say, by the end of the hour, the entire castle knew that Lily Potter was going to the ball with her rival Branwen Wood.

Lily sought Wood out right before he could enter the Common room and dragged him into a nearby abandoned class room.

"Was it you?"

"No! I'd never give you my word and then go back on it! You know that!"

Yeah, I do. I just wanted to confirm with you. What do you think could have happened?"

"Some one could have overheard us"

"But we were so careful! What do we do now? Oh, god! This is soo messed up! First with Bri and Hugo and then this!"

"Calm down, Lily. We'll just have to bear with the consequences, I guess. Don't let this bother you, okay? And, those two, it appears like they need our help after all. Don't you worry your pretty little head about that"

"Don't worry. I'll not let this hamper my play day after tomorrow"

"I wasn't worrying about that, you know"

"Let's go" Lily cut him short before he could explain further, "Oh, and you'd better get ready for the onslaught of letters" Lily added as an after thought.

"What letters?"

"Do you remember that time when Rose agreed to go out with Scor? As well in Victoire, Dominique and Roxanne's cases?"

"Oh no! I forgot you were part Weasley!"

"And part Potter. That's even worse"

"How many do you think?"

"One each from my uncles and dad. That makes six. Of course you'll get reassuring letters from my aunts and mum. That'll be another six. Then there are my cousins Victoire,….."

"Let's not name them all. Just give me a rough estimate"

"Excepting those who are in Hogwarts you'll get a minimum of…………..twenty three? Not including Nessie and Angel, that is. And my advice, don't take what they say to heart. After all it's just for one date and you needn't worry"

"You tell me that I could get a dozen or more howlers and then that I shouldn't panic?" Wood said, round-eyed.

"Well……….You were the one who insisted on accompanying me to the ball" Lily said with a twinkle in her eye, enjoying Wood's discomfiture immensely.

"You find this funny?"

"May be……….Alright! I find this downright amusing, yes" Lily retorted after seeing the look on Wood's face.

"Why didn't your previous dates get such letters?"

"I never told my family that I went on dates. Now that some one has managed to spread it to the entire school,……….."

"Oh! At least they know me. I'd hate to think of what Scorpius would have had to face"

"You should have seen the look on Uncle Ron's face! At first he was laughing his face off. Then, he was shocked, and then he was affronted, then came anger and disappointment and at last, after a kick from Aunt Hermione, came a much regretted acceptance. All this in a span of a half a minute!" Lily was now leaning on the door clutching her stomach.

"Wow! Where was I during all this?"

"Buried under piles of Qudditch books?"

"Not again!"

Seeing Lily laugh, Wood said, "Nice to know that my misery is a source of hilarity. Let's go, Lily. People are gonna make stupid assumptions if we stay in here much longer"

"Why are you so bothered about that?"

"I just don't want one of your family members to accidentally kill me in my sleep"

"You're actually tolerable when you are acting all panicky and anxious like this, you know?"

"Was that a compliment?"

"May be" Lily said as she opened the door to peep out.

"Coast is clear. Let's go"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The day of the Quidditch match dawned bright and sunny, though the same couldn't be said for our own Gryffindor Captain.

"What happened to you Wood? Did you hit your face on a wall? You look simply horrible!" Lily said as soon as she entered the room where Wood usually conducted his pre-match meetings though it was just him spouting last minute advice.

"Fifteen howlers! In one day! And I left two of the remaining in my dorm"

"Won't they blow up?"

"Put a spell on them. I hope it'll hold till the end of the match"

"I'm sorry, Wood"

"No need, Lily. I'll show them to you later. Some of them are actually funny. I had fun reading them" Wood tried smiling, though, in his current state, it appeared to be more of a grimace.

"I'm sure I'll love reading them. Now, let's do some thing about that face of yours. Madame Hooch is gonna think some one attacked you" she said as she moved towards him and took out her wand.

"_Cura viso_"

Lily nodded as his previously vampire-like face gained color.

"_Refrescar_! Now that's better"

As Lily finished up and tucked her wand under her robes, the door opened as the other members began to file in.

"Thanks"

"Any time"

Hugo came in last, still depressed and glum.

"Wish I could do the same to him"

"Couldn't you?"

"He isn't tired. He's dejected"

"Hope he can still see the bludgers or he's gonna get hurt"

"Gather 'round every one! Now, we know that we have practiced a lot for this match"

"A lot!" was the sardonic reply from the rest of the team.

"Okay! Okay! Let's go over the game plan once again…………."

Lily tuned out wood's pep talk as usual.

"Good day, every one! Welcome to today's Quidditch match! Now, all of us know which teams are playing today so without further ado, let's have………….the Ravenclaws!" Rania Holt's merry voice floated around the pitch.

"Ravenclaw team has come back from its last year's defeat with a bang! They have won the match with Slytherin and are now competing for the first position with the Gryffindors…………."

Lily lost track of the commentator's voice as she began concentrating on putting the quaffle through the hoops.

The entire crowd cheered as the quaffle sailed through the hoops and Gryffindor took the lead within ten seconds of the match's start.

The match continued well into an hour when Molly finally spotted the snitch and went after it.

"Weasley has seen the snitch! She dives after it and oh! There you are Rogers! I'd been wondering where you were!"

"Miss. Holt! Do not insult the players!"

"Sure, Professor. And!!!!!!!!!!!!!Weasley's caught the snitch! Gryffindor wins! This puts an end to the smashing match today. See you till the………….What's going on! Some one help him!"

Every one watched as Hugo who was hit on the head by a bludger, began free falling.

"_Arresto Momentum_!" the voices of Lily, Wood and Headmaster Zabini echoed as Hugo completely stopped falling from the force of the three spells.

"Move! _Kleti Nosila!_Take him to the hospital, Madame Pompfrey" Headmaster Zabini instructed as the crowd began clearing.

Lily watched in horror as Hugo was led away in the conjured stretcher with blood pouring from his head.

Hearing some one's sob nearby she turned around to see Brianna with tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Bri! He'll be fine!"

"I caused this didn't I? He was distracted because of the fight we had"

"No, Bri. It was an accident. And, you can always make up, after he gets well, right?"

"I don't know……… We should go with them" she said, and before Lily could reply, began hurrying after the stretcher.

A/n: Hey there!!!! Now, I know this chapter wasn't any good at all, but I thought it'd be good to have a filler chapter in here since the forthcoming chapters are super important.

What do you think?

Review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	10. Letters and Dates

Disclaimer : I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters……

A/n: Wow!!!!!! I never thought I'd get to a double digit chap with this story!!!!!!!!!! Guess your reviews _do_ inspire me, right? Any way, thanks a lot to all those who have stuck with me through all those crappy and moderate chaps.

Chapter 10: Letters and Dates

It had been two hours since the fateful accident on the Quidditch Pitch and Hugo still hadn't woken up. Though Madame Pompfrey had assured her that he'd be waking up any time now, she had her own doubts.

"Where am I?"

The weary voice had her snapping her head in the direction of the bed and sure enough, Hugo was awake and was staring at the people in front of him.

"Are you okay? Does it hurt so badly? Shall I call Madame Pompfrey? Do you feel dizzy?"

"Bri! Let the guy get settled. He's just woken up!" Wood's voice was soothing as he moved towards the bed.

"I'll just get Madame Pompfrey then" Brianna muttered and rushed out of the room but Lily thought her voice was a bit broken.

"I'm fine! There's no need to call Madame Pompfrey! She'll only stuff my throat with the gross potions!" Hugo complained.

"The hit to the head hasn't done you any good, I see" Lily countered as she too, took a seat by the bed.

"Your parents will be arriving now"

"Just my parents, right? I don't want my entire family making a scene like they did for Lily"

"No. It's just Aunt Hermione, Uncle Ron and Rose" Lily assured him just as the said three entered the wing.

"Oh, Hugo!" Hermione cried as she gave Hugo a rather tight hug.

"I'm okay, Mum. Just a pat on the head. Nothing to worry about" Hugo said awkwardly as she pulled away.

"A pat on the head! You were hit with a _bloody_ bludger, young man! Don't tell me it isn't any thing to worry about!" Hermione burst out even as Ron placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Let him rest, 'Mione"

"Oh, of course! You aren't to leave the Hospital Wing until Madame Pompfrey is absolutely sure that you're fine, is that clear?"

"Yes, Mum"

Madame Pompfrey appeared at the scene followed by Bri.

"You shouldn't be sitting up, ! Lie down. Immediately!"

Hugo reluctantly did so and kept sulking all the while Madame Pompfrey checked his injuries.

"When can I leave?"

"What's it with the Weasley children and their hatred for the Hospital Wing? By the way, you can leave a few days before Christmas, "

"A few?"

"A few" she confirmed.

"We should be leaving now, honey. Take care" Hermione kissed him on the forehead and Ron waved to him before they left.

"Scorpius sends his love" Rose said as a parting message as she skipped out of the Wing.

"We have a few things to discuss with Madame Pompfrey, right Lily?"

"Oh, yeah! And I have to get an antidote for this bruise. Let's go" she said as the two discreetly left the Wing.

"Not very subtle, are they?" Hugo asked as they watched the two enter the nurse's room.

"No. They are not"

An awkward silence filled the room as the two looked around the room. Finally…..

"I'm sorry"

"I'm sorry"

Both said at the same time and before Hugo could explain, Bri started speaking.

"I'm so sorry, Hugo. I shouldn't have said the things I told you that day. I didn't mean any of them. I just thought………I thought"

"You thought I was asking you out because of Bran's pestering?" Hugo suggested.

"Yeah! And that………hurt me. I thought you really…….."

"Liked you?"

"Yeah! And you were so………tensed and flustered that day and I assumed………."

"That I didn't mean what I said?"

"Mhmm……..I knew you were telling me the truth but I just couldn't get it through my head……….Oh, this week has been horrible, Hugo! Having two different opinions fighting with each other inside your head isn't pleasant, did you know that?"

"Tell me about it. I was the one who had to decide between asking you and facing rejection!"

"Rejection! Why would I do that?"

"I have no idea, but it seemed entirely plausible back then"

"That's absurd, Hugo"

"Yeah! I know that. Now. So?"

"So what?" Bri asked though her cheeks turned a fine shade of cherry.

"Will you still go with me to the Ball?"

"Of course, Hugo! If you're out of the Hospital Wing by then, that is"

"I'm sure Bran and I can arrange for that"

Brianna shook her head, trying to be disapproving and failed horribly as a bright smile broke out on her face.

"They're cute, aren't they?"

"Shh……….They'll hear us, Wood. We don't want them knowing we were eavesdropping, now, do we?"

"Okay!" Wood said and kept looking at Lily even after she had turned her head towards the scene unfolding before her.

"Thank God they came to their senses! I couldn't have taken one more day of their brooding!"

"Of course you couldn't! You aren't so very tolerant, are you Lily?" Wood's voice was a whisper as he twirled her long locks around his finger.

"No, I………you'd better let go of that hair or you'd see just how intolerant I am" Lily snapped, but her face just _had_ to turn crimson and betray her.

"Blushing, Lil?"

"N……No. You let go of my hair this instant!"

"Or?" Wood asked as he placed a hand on her cheek.

"Or I'll……….."

"You'll?" His other hand circled her waist and so he was now directly in front of her she could clearly see his eyes shine.

"Or I'll just have to do this!" she said as she gave him a blow under the jaw.

"Ow! Ouch! That hurt!"

Bran suddenly let go of Lily making her stumble and fall backwards. She grabbed a hold of his tie for support but that only led to both of them toppling, right through the door behind which they had been hiding.

"Get off me, Wood! You big oaf! You weigh a ton!" Lily yelped.

"Did no one ever tell you that eavesdropping is bad?"

Both of them looked up to find Bri standing with her hands on her hips.

"Guess I slept through that one! Help me up!" Wood whined as he held up a hand.

"You can do that yourself!" Bri said as she returned to her seat by Hugo's bed.

"Did I tell you I hated your friend there?"

"Never before, I guess" Lily answered as she tried to get up, leading to both of them falling, again, on the floor.

This time though, they made no attempt to get up. Or couldn't, as they were rolling on the floor, laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"No idea. Only those two will understand what they're laughing about" Hugo said as he shook his head in resignation.

"What's an owl doing here?" Bri asked as she spotted a brown owl swooping down form the open window.

"Hey, Mercy! How are you?"

"Hoot. Hoot"

"I'll take that to mean you're fine. Now who's this letter for?"

The owl extended its loaded leg roughly in the direction of Lily and Wood.

"It should be for me" Lily said as she finally stopped rolling on the floor and stood up.

"What could it be that Mum couldn't tell you when she got here?"

_Dear Lily,_

_Hope you and all your friends are fine! Is Hugo still teasing you? Is that Wood boy still…….._

"What does it say?" Wood asked, now curious.

"Nothing. Moving on…….."

_You'd asked me about the __Összekavar és Ellenőrzés spell. Though you wouldn't tell me what it was for, I hope you aren't planning to use it any time. It is one of the five universally banned spells and its usage means a life time in Azkaban. That spell is supposed to hypnotize and control the person or thing cast on and requires a lot of magical power to cast._

_If you're facing any problem, you know you can always rely on me, right? _

_See you during Christmas!_

_P.S. : Has he asked out Brianna yet? Don't tell him I asked._

As she finished the letter, the three were staring at her in horror.

"So that was why you tried to drown me!"

"Believe me, if I'd had the chance I'd have drowned you long before!" Lily countered, still not fully recovered from the incident before.

"If that spell is forbidden, wouldn't some one have detected its usage?"

"None of these radars work inside Hogwarts" Lily stated.

"You mean to say that……..guy, is in Hogwarts?"

"Must be"

"Could he be a student? A teacher?" Bri asked, alarmed.

"I don't think so. All the teachers here are trustable and it takes too much magical power for a student to be able to cast it" Lily explained flatly, though her eyes were a bit afraid.

Wood, noticing this, said, "Let's discuss about this later, guys. Hugo needs to rest. And I think whoever might have cast that spell must have left. There hasn't been any attempt in the past week, right?"

Though he spoke with conviction, he was not a bit convinced of his own explanation.

"Yeah! Let's hope that's what happened" Bri agreed.

"We should be leaving. Dinner starts in an hour" Wood said and waved to Hugo before placing a hand on the still shocked Lily and directing her towards the exit.

"Bye, Hugo!" Bri kissed him on the cheek before hopping out of the wing.

A/n: So that spell was banned, eh? But, that's not what bothers me. Do you think the scenes between Bri and Hugo and Lily and Bran were okay? Tell me through a review!!!!!!!!!!


	11. The Masquerade Mishap

Disclaimer : I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters……

Chapter 11: The Masquerade mishap

"You look great, Lily. Now let me do your hair!" Brianna whined as Lily looked at Brianna standing behind her through the mirror. She was wearing a midnight blue full length gown that looked daring and exquisite on her. She was already wearing her mask too. Lily looked at her own dress, which was pale lavender. The neck was a wavy pattern, rising at one side and falling at the other, to join with the double strap that went up her shoulder. At the joint of the neckline and the strap was a flower which was pale lavender with dull green leaves that tickled her skin. Except for the neckline, the dress was very simple. It narrowed at her waist were a dull green belt ran. The skirt portion was flowy but wasn't umbrella like. Lily had simply refused to wear such dresses saying that they made her look like 'a princess with a parachute gone mad'. The skirt was pale lavender till her knees where it turned to a dull green. The entire dress was covered with a soft, transparent material which shimmered in the dorm light.

Ten minutes later, after Bri had finished torturing her with a hairbrush, Lily looked in the mirror and took a startled step back. The person looking back at her was her, though it wasn't her.

Brianna had simply lifted a portion of her auburn black hair back and had secured it in a stylish bun with a clip. The rest of it floated around her down to her lower back, lengthened, thanks to the straightening spell Bri had used. The bun made her look regal but the over all effect was ethereal and complete, with the single lavender Brianna had placed beside her ear.

The effect was only enhanced by the long earrings she wore, which were silver with a flower at the top and three strings, all of which again joined to form a flower at the bottom. Both the flowers had a green stone in the middle. The delicate chain she wore was the same pattern as the earring, though the flower in the middle was lavender with the green stone. The chain was so delicate that Lily was even afraid to touch it as it moved around her neck.

"I look… I look…"

"Wait, I'm not done yet. Close your eyes"

Lily did as was told and when she opened them she could see that Bri had applied make up on her. The dull green she had used for the eye shadow brought out the green in her own eyes. The rouge was very light and made her appear less like herself and more like a china doll. Afraid that she'd break herself, Lily took a cautious hand to her cheek only to have it slapped away by Bri.

"Don't touch it. You'll smudge it up. Do a 360 for me?"

As Lily turned around, Bri nodded to herself, satisfied with the result. Lily wore her mask which too, was a simple muted green.

"Bran doesn't stand a chance!" she exclaimed as she and Lily went down the stairs.

"I don't care what he thinks" Lily retorted as she began searching the crowd for him.

"Sure" Bri said as she spotted Hugo, who was standing by the fire place with Wood.

"There they are!"

"Hey Bran! Hugo!" she greeted cheerfully as Lily walked to the group unsurely.

_Lily! That was her! God!_ Was all Bran could think before he was faced with what, to him, was the most beautiful face in the world.

"You look beautiful, Lily" Bran stammered as she looked up from the floor which she had previously been studying enthusiastically.

"Thanks. You aren't sore on the eyes either. Except for your hair. And tie"

"What of my…."

"You didn't comb it, did you?"

"Of course, I did! It just wouldn't settle. And what about my tie?"

"You didn't tie it right and we don't match" Lily said as she took out her wand and tapped it on the tie which changed to a dull green color and re-knotted itself.

"That's better. Let's go" she said as she put her arm around his and led him towards the portrait hole.

As they walked to the Great Hall, both of them could feel every one's eyes on them. Regardless, they entered the Hall and took a table with Bri and Hugo.

"Let's dance" Bran said as Lily and he went to the floor.

The music was slow and classic, which suited Lily just fine since she very well couldn't tango with her heels. The only disadvantage was that she was drawn close to Bran and, courtesy of the heels, could see right into his amber eyes. The suit he wore emphasized the hazel sprinkles in his eyes, making him look jovial and handsome rather than somber and dull.

"Don't look now, but Bri and Hugo are dancing" Wood whispered in her ear, making the lavender at her ear flutter. So did her heart, but she ignored it.

A few minutes later, Lily looked around and sure enough, there were Brianna, who had claimed to be the worst dancer in the world, and Hugo, who had complained of having two left feet, dancing. It wasn't dancing so much as swaying to the music but Lily thought she had never seen a sight so cheering to her heart.

"They love each other" Lily muttered as she turned back to Bran.

"They'd better or I'd kill Hugo for being the love sick puppy that he is"

"Do I detect a hint of trouble?"

"You'd detect a load of trouble when it concerns Hugo and _the love of his life!_" Bran said the last part in a slightly high voice.

"He didn't!"

"He most certainly did. That guy isn't very secretive when it comes to his feelings"

"Guess not. He compensates for it by being oblivious of others'. Gets it from Uncle Ron. If he hadn't got it by now, I had planned on smacking him on the head until it dawned on him"

"Good for him, he saved his own head"

"Yeah!"

"So, is it normally your practice to slam oblivious people on the head or is it…"

"You'd better not complete that sentence or I'll have another head to slam"

"Mine? You won't be able to"

"Really? Why not?"

"Whatever you might or might not have, you have an eye for beauty, Lily. You wouldn't want to destroy the most beautiful…ouch! Ouch!"

"Take that! And that!" Lily said as she whacked him on the head.

"Look there" Hugo pointed and as Brianna turned around, she was struck with the most comical sight of Lily spanking Bran on the head, in the middle of the dance floor.

"Let's hope they don't do this at my sister's wedding!"

"Rose's getting married! Oh, I'm soo happy! When did you know?"

"Just before you both came. I had just told Bran"

"That's great. You'll invite me won't you?"

"Rose'll kill me if I didn't have a date on her wedding day"

"You're asking me?"

"Would seem so, wouldn't it? So, what do you say?"

"Sure. Hugo. I don't think any body else could tolerate you any way"

"Hey!"

"Let's break them up before they embarrass themselves further"

"Is that even possible?"

"Guys!" Brianna said as she stood between the two with her hands on her hip.

"I thought we had crossed the beating each other up stage. Apparently not. Go and take your seats till you are sure you won't start fighting again"

"Yes, Mother" Bran muttered, which, to his dismay, was heard by Bri.

"What was that, Branwen Wood?"

"Nothing, Brianna" he said as he went sat at the table, sulking.

Lily, though, didn't return to her seat, as she was asked to dance by another person, who she was sure she had never met before. Though the voice was vaguely familiar, she couldn't discern any thing with the mask preventing her from seeing his face.

The guy was funny enough, she had to admit, he kept her laughing throughout the dance and when she looked back towards her table, she saw that Wood was trying to burn down the man beside her with just his looks. Strangely enough, his look made her nervous and she suddenly felt an insane wish to go back to him.

"Let's take a walk, shall we?"

"Huh? I guess"

By the time she had finished answering, they were at the door. She turned back one last time and found that Wood was quite busy talking with Mona Myers. Resisting the urge to go back and bite her head off, she followed her companion out the doors of the school.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Where's Lily?" Bran was the first one who noticed that she hadn't returned to the table. The last time she had seen her, she had been dancing with that clod of a guy.

"I thought she came back to the table" Hugo said as he drank the butterbeer in his hands.

"I'll go look for her" Wood sprang up, having a bad feeling about Lily's safety.

No matter how many times he jumped up and down, he couldn't spot the pale lavender of her dress.

He returned to the table agitated, and asked, "The map, Hugo"

As soon as he had the map, he began looking for her in the grounds and sure enough, he spotted her moving towards the Forbidden Forest. Beside her was a dot that was smudged and he couldn't read it.

"She's going towards the Forest. I'll go in search of her. You guys inform the Headmaster and come along with him" he was running even before he finished the sentence.

As he went out the protection of the school, he could spot a dull light ahead, and hoping that it wasn't Hagrid's hut, went towards it. The figure seemed to have Lily on its shoulder and seemed to have trouble walking. When he was a mere ten feet from the figure, it entered the forest and the light was gone. Shrouded in darkness and afraid to light his own wand, he entered the forest just as drops of rain began to splatter on the trees, muffling the sound of the footsteps ahead.

_At least he wouldn't know that he's being followed_ Bran thought as he followed the now bright light.

It might have been an hour or even a day, Bran had lost track, as he walked behind the figure which at last, came to a clearing with a lake. The same clearing, if he remembered correct, where had fought off hordes of Dementors.

The figure laid down Lily beside the lake and went into the other side of the forest. Bran stood still for five minutes, making sure that he was really gone, before he emerged from his hiding place.

He ran towards Lily and found her bound, ill and unconscious.

He quickly began untying the knots with his hands, forgetting that he was a wizard for a moment. Even after that, he was afraid to use his wand since he was afraid he'd cut Lily instead of the ropes, worsening the situation; what with his hand shaking like an electric current was running through it.

As soon as he was sure that Lily was free, he shook her face, calling for her.

"Lily! Lily! Wake up! Don't you dare give up on me now! Come on, Lily! Every thing's gonna be okay! Wake up! Wake up!"

Lily stayed unconscious and Bran realized that he was running out of time to escape. Just as he was thinking of escaping with Lily, he saw the lake before him freeze and the flower in Lily's hair wilt.

_What's happening? This could only be the effect of…..Couldn't be…_

Even as he was reassuring himself that he was dreaming, packs of Dementors began to emerge from the shadows of the forest, each the size of a full grown man, with their despairing presence and threatening stance. Bran looked down on Lily's face and thought

_They're out to kill, Lily. They'd kill the both of us! We're done for! I shouldn't have let you go out of my sight! It was my entire fault! And you're gonna die for it! I'm sorry, Lily! I'm so sorry! I never wanted our lives to end this way! I might never have told you this, but I care for you! I love you! It doesn't matter to me that you can't hear me now, Lily! I'm sure you know this too!_

Bran continued speaking,not realizing that he was actually speaking out loud.

"I love you!..." were the first words that registered in Lily's brain as she woke up to the gentle rain splashing her. She felt quite comfortable, as if she was lying on some one's lap……….Bran?

The events slammed back into her and she shivered for a bit, only then noticing the looming Dementors.

"What are they doing here?" Her voice was coarse, but it was the sweetest sound he had ever heard.

"You're awake! God, you're awake!" Bran cried in relief as he hugged her tight.

"Hmm……..Not that I don't appreciate the emotion but, I don't think in the middle of a group of Dementors is the best place to proclaim your love"

Bran looked around at the Dementors which were now close enough for him to see clearly, despite the rain. And funnily enough, they appeared but a small hindrance to him.

His voice was rich with confidence as he cast the spell, all the while staring at Lily's face.

"_Expecto Patronum!"_

What startled him, though, were not the dementors backing or the fact that they burst into flames on contact with his Patronus. It wasn't his normal Patronus. Sure, he could accept that he had been the second person to successfully cast the neo-patronus but the form it took was what startled him. It wasn't the usual eagle owl, the patronus was a tiger. A white one, with sheer black stripes. Its eyes were a disarming shade of hazel and was filled with pride and contentment as it pounced back to its caster. It licked Lily on the face, making her giggle and, after nuzzling Bran, disappeared.

The disappearance of the tiger brought the two to earth and they looked at each other, the horror in one's eye reflected in the other.

And that was how Hugo, Bri and Headmaster Zabini found them, Lily lying on Bran's lap, both of them staring at the moon which was now high in the sky.

A/n: Hi!!!!!!!!! Before you guys kill me, I gotta tell you this! This was the chapter I had written first, even before I wrote the first chap. The entirety of the story had been leading to this and, if you think there could have been some thing better about it, do tell me. I'll try to improve it in the next chaps.

For those of you who are wondering, no. this is not the end of the story. There's a lot more coming up in this one.

And about Lily's dress, if you guys find a parallel one some where, I'm sorry! It was all my own imagination and I haven't copied it out of any real pieces!

As always, review!!!!!

P.S.: I know a post note isn't the best place for it but, thank you to all those who have taken time to read, favorite, add to alert and review each and every one of my stories! Your reviews are the one's I look at when I feel like no one likes my stories! Thanks for sticking with me for so long!

_Sneak peek into the next chapter:_

"_If you didn't even like me, why did you say that you loved me, Wood? Tell me that!" Lily bellowed, having had enough of his moods._

"_I…I….Its none of your business, Potter. I…"_

"_Back to Potter, are we? I thought I knew you! I thought I could finally trust you! I thought you were better than the rest! Should have known! Move, Wood!" Lily tried to storm past him._

_Before she could so, a hand came around her waist and she was face to face with Bran, whose face was now a sea of emotions. Lily could only catch snatches of his emotions as they played one after another on his face, like an extremely fast slideshow as he looked directly in her eyes._

"_What you thought doesn't concern me, Potter"_

"_Why in hell did you protect me then? I'm sure Bri and Hugo were more than capable"_

See ya!


	12. The sappy chap and the crappy author

Disclaimer : I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters……

Chapter 12: The sappy chap and the crappy author

After a rather blissfully uneventful Christmas and New Years, Lily returned to Hogwarts, hoping that the rest of her year would be the same. Boy was she wrong.

It had been hard enough fighting with her parents for coming back to Hogwarts. It had taken all of her arguing, crying and absolute disobedience before they had relented. And not without precautions.

She now had to write to them at least once a week and she was banned from communicating with strangers.

Though Lily knew her parents were just plain worried, it irked her that they restricted her so much.

Then there was Hugo and Bri. Ever since the Christmas Ball, they had skirted around her as if she'd break down any moment. Yes, she did appreciate that they were giving her time alone to cope up. In any other circumstance, that's exactly what she'd have wanted, but now, there was also this problem with Wood……..

Coming on to the last and most definitely _not_ the least of her problems, there was the situation with Wood. Lily, at this point of time, had given up guessing what was going though his mind. To an outsider, nothing would seem out of place. They fought with each other just the same. Their Quidditch practices went the same way they always did. Hell, he even irritated her the same way as he used to. But, to Lily, every thing seemed different.

_Different!_ She scoffed as she entered the Gryffindor common room late in the night, one day._ He'd be more human if he were dead!_

Sitting on the couch was Wood, busily scribbling on a piece of paper.

"Quidditch plans?" Lily asked as she placed her books on the table beside her and sat by him.

"Yeah!" He casually sat back _away from her _and closed the piece of parchment between pages of a book _out of her eye sight._

The subtle actions didn't go unnoticed by Lily. Ignoring the hurt that sprang up unawares, she asked, "Can I see them?"

"It's still in the works. May be a few days later. What are all these books for?"

"Studying?" Lily said in a well-duh kind of voice.

"Okay, then! I should be leaving"

"You never sleep this early, Wood. Just come out with it. You don't want to talk with me" Lily snapped, losing all pretence.

"That's just silly. I…."

"No more lies, Wood? Run out of excuses to say? Shall I invent some of them for you? How about ancient rune homework?"

He had said that to her just yesterday, and she knew he never took Ancient Runes.

"A Potions tutoring? Or has Drake sent mail for you?"

Lily continued even as Bran opened his mouth to retort.

"You should have thought of the consequences before you leapt into my business, Wood. I guess you'd want nothing to do with me now, what with hundreds of Dementors chasing me, would you? Don't worry. If it will make you feel better, I'll write whoever it is that's threatening me a note saying you have nothing to do with this. Is that all you want?"

"That's not what I want, damn it! Do you think that's the reason why I'm 'avoiding' you? Really Lily, I thought you had a better imagination!" Bran stopped knowing that if he continued, he'd say things that even he was confused with, at present. Even now, he had almost said 'I thought you knew me better'.

"What is the reason then, Wood? Tell me. Tell the ever so ignorant Lily Potter"

"Whatever it is, Lily, it has nothing to do with being afraid of the threat"

"Of course not! That'd mean you're afraid, right? We can't have that now, can we?" Lily's voice was now almost scathing as nearly two weeks' worth of frustration burst out from her, and she did nothing to control it. It frightened her. She was afraid that if she stopped shouting now, she'd break down. And that was the last thing she wanted Wood to witness.

"Lily, it isn't that. Listen, if I had been frightened, do you think I'd have come looking for you? Alone? Do you imagine saving my self was what was running through my head when I followed that guy? Do you really suppose that I'd come to that lake to witness you be attacked by Dementors? Do you truly believe that, Lily? 'Cause if you do, then I have nothing more to say to you!" Wood was panting by the time he stopped his tirade.

"Then why the hell do you keep avoiding me? Don't even think of protesting!" Lily cut in as he began retorting.

"Why should I avoid you, Lily? What does it mean to me whether you live or die? After all you do nothing but give me trouble" Wood's voice was like stone as he said this.

_Go away, Lily! Please, don't confuse me even further! Go, before I do some thing I can never explain sanely. _

To say that Lily was stunned would be an understatement. She had seen, in the nearly fifteen years that she had known Wood, quite a lot of his emotions. She knew him when he was funny, jovial, teasing, angry, sad, spiteful, irritated, tired, unsure, hell even when he was at his weakest! But the one standing before her was not the one she was used to. The Wood she knew, _her Wood_, was, no matter what, expressive. Never in her life had she seen him so closed up and so…… _inhuman_.

Not knowing how to deal neither with this new side of Wood nor with her own conflicting storm of emotions, she went about it the best way she knew, offensively.

"If you didn't even like me, why did you say that you loved me, Wood? Tell me that!" Lily bellowed, having had enough of his moods.

"I…I….Its none of your business, Potter. I…"

"Back to Potter, are we? I thought I knew you! I thought I could finally trust you! I thought you were better than the rest! Should have known! Move, Wood!" Lily tried to storm past him.

Before she could so, a hand came around her waist and she was face to face with Bran, whose face was now a sea of emotions. Lily could only catch snatches of his emotions as they played one after another on his face, like an extremely fast slideshow as he looked directly in her eyes.

"What you thought doesn't concern me, Potter"

"Why in hell did you protect me then? I'm sure Bri and Hugo were more than capable"

"I would have done the same for any one else, Potter. Any one else that I had had the misfortune of knowing for fifteen whole years. Any one else who thought I was a git and that I deserved the hell they gave me. Any one else that never left me alone no matter what. Any one else that confused me with their actions as you do. Any one else that could pull me away from my world of Quidditch as you do. Any one that could make me see the goodness in helping first years as you do. Any one who could be proud and independent as you are. Any one else that matters to me as much as you do. Any one else I care about as much as I do for you. Any one else that I thought was the most beautiful person, inside out, as you. Any one who could be so totally ignorant of what I feel as you are"

"Why do you do this, Bran? One minute I feel as if you are the most horrid person in the world and the next, this…..and I feel…I don't even know what I feel"

"Neither do I but, there it is. And I don't think its going away any time soon"

"Me neither. What do we do now?"

"Apologise to your best friends for giving them hell"

Both of them laughed as Hugo and Bri came into the common room.

"Does this mean you guys won't fight any more?" Bri asked, looking at the two as if she were looking at an activated time bomb.

"Of course not! And we don't fight, Bri! We just have disagreements. Right, Bran?"

"Sure"

A comfortable chatter set about in the common room as the four started discussing about NEWTs and how proper its naming was.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A/n: Please, please! Don't kill me for this extremely sappy chap! I just was in the mood for one! I know inserting my moods into the story isn't gonna do it any gud. I won't do it again.

Moving on, the updates will be slower from now on as I've just now had the most unsettling realization that I've been studiously ignoring my other fics. I can't say that I won't update! I love this story too much for that, but, you guys will just have to wait a bit longer. Hope you don't mind!

You wanna know the equation to faster updates? Here it is:

More reviews = Faster Updates.

I hereby state that the above equation is fool proof.

Hope you got the hint!

Review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See ya!


	13. The Quidditch match and another attack

Disclaimer : I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters……

Chapter 13: The Quidditch match and another attack

"And…..Gryffindor wins!" the voice of the commentator rang out as Molly circled the pitch, holding the snitch in her hand. The players then proceeded towards the middle of the pitch, were they went for a group hug, an awkward one, since they were still in the air on their brooms.

Lily landed on the ground and was immediately surrounded by the gathered mob of Gryffindors. She had played magnificently that day, and had won Gryffindor the biggest lead in the history of Hogwarts.

The Slytherins had been bludgered (no pun intended) to their brooms by her play and their keeper, Reyes' neck was still stiff from having to turn around so much to watch Lily's goals soar past.

Indeed, the happiest person was Wood himself, since it gave them an easy edge towards the Quidditch Cup.

In the month that had passed since their showdown in the common room, Lily had changed so much. Yet she hadn't changed at all.

_Oh! How do I explain this!_ He thought as he too, was crushed in the middle of the ecstatic Gryffindor crowd.

She still had the same temper. That was one thing he was glad hadn't changed. Yet, even when she shouted at some one, now a days, there was a small smile playing at her lips.

She still fought with him. Yet, he felt as if she was ridiculing him more than berating him.

It was as if she was perennially happy. Her face was often so radiant that he was sure there was a sun floating around the back of her head.

And there were those home work sessions…

Ever since he had helped her with Transfiguration, she had made it a point to study with him. It had raised quite a few eye brows the first time but when Hugo and Bri had also joined them, people had gone back to minding their own problems. Which were abundant in the school.

Those times had quickly become his favorites. Then, there was neither the pressure of Quidditch, nor the need to protect her.

And he had developed a new hobby too. Staring at Lily. And, though he'd never accept it, even to himself, he very much liked his new past time.

Finding himself staring at Lily again, he turned his head towards the other direction. And regretted it instantly. Since, approaching him through the crowd, was Mona Myers.

_Uh oh!_

Wood immediately began darting through the crowd in the opposite direction, taking care to bend a bit, so that he wouldn't be visible above the crowd.

"Where are you going Bran?"

"No where. Look, can you help me?" Wood asked Brianna, who was standing before him, with her hands on her hips, in an uncannily Lily-like manner.

"Yes?"

"Help me get out of here?"

"Who are you avoiding?"

"Couldn't fool you, could I? Myers" wood muttered the last word as if he was sharing a military secret.

"Come on. This way"

As soon as they were out of the crowd, Wood took a deep breath and smiled at Bri.

"Thanks. This is one part of a Quidditch match that I could do without" Wood breathed out.

"I thought you'd love the attention. After such a smashing win too. Congrats, by the way" Bri's voice was genuinely surprised.

"Thanks. There's still the finals to go. And, no, I don't like all that attention. It's no fun when some one keeps praising you for things when all you want to do is forget it and move on"

"Modest to the core. I must be lucky to have two such people for friends"

"Hugo?"

"No. Though he _is_ modest, I was talking about Lily"

"Oh, yeah, Lily"

As if it was reflex reaction, Bri saw Bran's head turn and immediately spot Lily amidst the crowd, laughing with Hugo, her head thrown back.

Bri thought his eyes glazed just a bit, and she was sure it wasn't a trick of the light.

The day was breezy, with not much sun. It had been ideal for Quidditch.

The bright sun was now lighting up Lily's hallow of auburn hair, and her blue green eyes were animated and twinkling as she dragged Hugo from his crowd of adoring fans towards them.

"You can't dance around each other for ever, Bran" Bri warned before the two could come within ear shot.

_Why was Bran looking offended?_ Lily thought as she yanked Hugo.

"Did she insult your Quidditch talent, Bran? You look like some one has just snubbed you"

"And it amuses you?" Bran's voice was light as the affronted look turned into a grin.

"Only a bit" Lily admitted.

"When's the party Bran?" Hugo asked as he escaped from Lily's hold and righted himself.

"Today eve. In the common room. Get the butterbeer. Let's see if we can melt Miss Goody goody this time" Wood's eyes glinted with mischief as he winked conspiratorially at Hugo.

The thing was, Lily was not an alcoholic. She was one of those few people who absolutely refused to drink. Not because she hated it or any thing, but just because she never felt like it.

"Oh! Stop trying to trick me. Passing butterbeer off as pumpkin juice didn't work the last time. I don't know what to do to keep you guys from trying"

"Just a sip will do, Lily"

"Not even in your dreams"

"Leave her off, Hugo! I have a plan" Wood was quite confident as he assured Hugo.

"Bran! I thought we agreed to leave it the last time!" Lily was affronted as she began walking backwards as they proceeded towards the castle.

"I remember no such thing" Wood replied and Lily scrunched up her nose and said, "Liar!"

"Who? Me?" Wood asked, as he looked around trying to spot some one behind him.

"Yes! I distinctly remember you promising me that you won't trouble me about it last year"

"I don't remember it!"

"See what drinking does to you? You don't even remember what happened! Ouch!"

A random stone had just decided to trip her.

"Careful now, Lily! You can hardly walk front without falling much less backwards" Wood told Lily as he caught her elbows before she could fall on him.

"I'm not clumsy!"

"Of course not! You just have so much of affection towards the ground that you feel it imperative to demonstrate it by lying down on it"

"May be I do like the ground. May be I even love it"

"Why do you go up in the air then? Wouldn't you prefer to stay on the ground?"

"You love Quidditch. I don't see you playing it every second of the day. Do I complain?"

"That's different" Wood retorted he tried to walk past Lily.

"How so?" Lily easily blocked his path since she was already standing in front of him.

"Quidditch isn't the only thing that I love. You know I have bigger priorities than that"

"Like?"

"Like…not answering you now. Like irritating you to see how long you can keep your temper. Like trying to make you drink alcohol. Like making sure the school is safe from you. Like making it through Hogwarts without making a fool of myself before you"

"You don't have to worry about the last one. I don't need to see _that_ one to believe it. And you distracted me"

"That was a random statement"

"No it wasn't. You were the one who tried to get me off my mission"

"Mission? What is that? Do you have a name for it yet?"

"Yeah! It's called Mission 'prove to the world that Branwen Demetri Wood is a Quidditch Maniac' or Mission PWBQ"

"You have several alphabets missing"

"Well…PTTWTBDWIAQM is a bit long"

"And unpronounceable?"

"That too, and….you distracted me, didn't you?"

"Well, you're just very easily entertained"

"No, I'm not! Mum had had to get three babysitters when I was two so that they could keep me from doing mischief"

"And here we have, the reason for the early retirement of the greatest chaser in the history of the Holyhead Harpies!"

"Hey! That's not true! She decided that all by herself!"

Just then, Lucy, who was a third year, was seen approaching them.

"Lily?"

"Yes Lucy?"

"Headmaster Zabini asked me to gather us all up and meet him in his office"

"Us? Meaning? What happened?" Lily was literally shaking the panicked Lucy as she asked the question.

"The Weasleys and Wood" Lucy replied timidly.

"Gather the rest of them" Lily was running even before she finished the sentence.

"Scor!" Lily yelled at the gargoyle in front of the Headmaster's office and it sprang apart in alarm to the girl racing up its steps in a blur.

"Come in, Miss Potter. Where are the others?"

"What happened, Professor? Is every one all right?"

"They will be Miss Potter"

"Will be? What is the matter, Professor? Tell me"

"Calm down Lily. Calm down" Bri was holding her shoulder as Hugo and Branwen appeared in the room.

Hugo was looking as alarmed as Lily though he didn't express it the way Lily did.

"There was an attack" Professor Zabini's voice was grave as he gave them the dreaded news.

"What!"

"Who did it?"

"Who was hurt?"

"They attacked the Quidditch pitch Drake and Teddy were practicing in. And the Auror cabin James and Fred were in. Also Albus and Scorpius' flat early in the morning. I just got an owl from your relatives"

"Are they okay? Will they be okay? Are any of them……" Lily's voice choked even before she could complete the suggestion. The mere thought of losing so many of her relatives at once was beyond her grasp and though the fact hadn't registered, her eyes began shedding tears. Not rivers of it, but drops of it, as if she was trying to hold too much of water in her eye and it was spilling over.

"I've arranged for you all to go visit them at St Mungo's. And as for your question, Miss Potter, the answer is no"

Though her worst assumptions hadn't come true, she still had a feeling that Professor Zabini was hiding some thing but she had neither the time nor the spirit to voice it.

Accepting the offered handful of Floo Powder, she went into the fire place. The last glance she had of the Headmaster's room was of, ironically, Wood, whose face was stony and sorrowful. His eyes told her what he couldn't. He was hurting and afraid. And not just for his own brother.

It was that moment, Lily always said later, that he finally became irreplaceable to her.

Giving him a damp smile, hoping naively that it'd give him some happiness, which it did, she flooed into St Mungo's. And chaos.

A/n: Hey there! Long time no update, I know! But as I had told you in the last chap, I've got to look after my other stories too, right?

Don't ask me if I succeeded in that venture, but I'm back. The updates will be more regular from now on.

So, what did you think of the chap?

As I always say, review!


	14. The scene at St Mungo's

Disclaimer : I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters……

Chapter 14: The scene at St Mungo's

Brianna was the last one to floo to St Mungo's and was immediately greeted by the air of despair that surrounded her. Professor Zabini had arranged for them to floo directly into the ward where the six were to avoid them running around the hospital.

Just as she started looking around, the door burst open and in came Draco Malfoy, looking grave and drained, and behind him was a rack containing various colored potions that looked sickly when kept at the same place.

Swallowing her disgust, she proceeded to the bed nearest to her, which incidentally happened to be Albus'.

He was lying on the bed, awake, and looking at him, no one would have guessed that he had been attacked.

"How are you feeling, Al?" she asked as Ginny, who had been sitting beside him rose.

"I'm fine, Bri. Dunno why these people had to make such a fuss about it at all. Drake and James were the worst. Scor and I were awake and ready when they came" he assured her, though she could see that he was trying to hold back a grimace of pain.

Moving around the beds, she came, at last, to the two that were shuttered.

The Woods were standing outside one and Harry and Lily, outside the other.

Seeing her approach, Harry gave her a small smile, and said, "Could you do me a favor, Bri?"

"Yes, Mr Potter?"

"Take Lily out. For a while. And Bran too if possible?"

"Sure. Lily?"

But Lily only shook her head in denial and faced the sheets that were drawn on the four posters.

"Bran?"

"Sorry, Bri"

Sighing, Brianna moved forward until she was in between the two and grabbed one of each of their arms.

"You are coming with me. Now"

"Go on, Lily. I'll call you when he wakes up" Harry promised her.

Sighing, Lily walked with Brianna to the door and was joined by Hugo and Bran there.

They walked down the steps, wanting to have some thing to do. As they reached the cafeteria, Hugo went in and saved them a table while Bri went to order.

As Lily and Bran played around with the food, Hugo and Brianna watched on, helpless, and frustrated at their uselessness.

Lily suddenly pushed aside the plate, and said, "I can't eat it. I have no appetite what so ever"

"Lily! You have to eat some thing! You didn't eat any thing in the morning either! Do you want to get into a bed beside your brothers?"

"That would be fine! At least then, I wouldn't have to feel guilty for them!" Lily burst out as she laid her head on the table.

"You think you are responsible" Bran's voice was a statement, though it had all the strength of an accusation.

"Well…..It would seem so, wouldn't it? I was the one being targeted and now, my family! And yours since you helped me! And it's not that that bothers me so much as…."

"As?"

"Fred. Scorpius. Teddy" Lily's voice was almost incomprehensible with tears as she said her god-brother's name.

"None of them blame you, Lily"

"But they should! I was the reason they are suffering this! I could have avoided it!"

"How? By dying on that day of the ball? Would that have sated the murderer? What if it hadn't? Do you think you family would have strived so hard if you were already gone? What do you think you are? Some kind of great sacrificial lamb? Stop blaming your self! Nothing good will come out of it!"

Complete silence reigned in the group as Bran's words settled in.

"I'm sorry, Bran. I forgot for a moment that you brother was hurt too. I should have realized that you'd be hurting too. I'm sorry. I should have…"

"There was nothing you could have done. There's nothing you can do, except hope for the best"

"And what if that isn't enough?" Lily's voice was a whisper of doubt, that of a child asking if demons were lurking in the closet.

"It will be. It has to be. And when all this is over, we'll tell your parents…"

"What? Why?"

"We can't hide it any longer, Lily. It's not just a matter of your own safety, now. I guess this proves that you weren't the only one they targeted. We have to give them a better lead. And we know a bit more than those that were attacked. And I don't think they'll remember much, any way"

"I guess I shouldn't have hoped for this to blow over so easily, huh?"

"Yeah! I guess we shouldn't have. But, after all, what is the life of a Gryffindor worth, if he hasn't faced at least a few challenges, right?"

"Mhmm" Lily's face was already relaxed and calm as she nodded her head.

A few hours later, the four entered the wing to find it less populated and more comfortable. The air of suspense was gone and hope was thick.

"Hey Al!" Lily's greeting was casual as she plopped down beside him on the bed.

"Ow! Hey! I'm not fully recovered, you know?" Al complained though a smile was threatening to break out.

Lily had always been his little doll. And James'. Coming from a Potter and Weasley, over protectiveness was second nature to them. But when it came to Lily, it was some thing else. He had been well prepared to console her when she had come. Instead, she had stridden in, sorrowful and unhappy, yes. But she wasn't the same Lily who had cried to him about Bran's teasing.

It had given him an uncomfortable epiphany. One he wasn't ready to accept yet. Letting go had never been one of his strong suits. Let alone when it came to his own family.

He had depended on Lily to remain the same when so many other things around him had changed.

Yet, she had. And for the better and for that he was happy. And of course, he was yet to talk to Bran who was supposedly 'dating' his sister.

_May be I should wait until James and Teddy are up. And Fred would be a valuable addition…_

Seeing her brother go into one of his 'thinking' modes, Lily slightly shook his shoulder and asked, "Did Nessie come by? I never saw her"

"Huh? Yeah, she did. She's gone to get Angel a cup of coffee. She's the worst of them all. May be you could get her to calm down a bit?"

Lily's nod was hesitant, for, she had always been a bit intimidated by James' stead-fast and bold girl friend and the thought of her being frail was some thing she couldn't even comprehend.

Shaking off her reluctance, she moved towards the closed beds once again, to find that one of them, Drake's, was now open and he was awake, and was speaking to Bran cheerfully, with sweeping motions and gestures, and Lily took a safe guess that it had to have some thing to do with Quidditch.

The hangings to James' bed were still closed and her father was still standing outside it.

"Will he be alright, Dad?"

"Malfoy says so. I guess I have no choice but to trust his words"

"Where's Angel?"

"Over there" Harry pointed to the adjacent room.

"Thanks Dad. And call me when he wakes up"

"Angy?"

Seeing Angel with blood shot eyes and a bleak face wiped off any hesitation Lily might have had.

"When did you get here Lily?"

"A few hours back. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. I just never thought he'd be like this, you know? He always seemed so…sure and light hearted and funny. I'd never have imagined he could get hurt or…"

As her voice trailed off, Lily realized that the person she had considered stiff was not at all as she had thought. It warmed her to think that she cared enough about her brother to be so broken.

"He'll be fine, Angy. Just you wait. He'll be up and flirting with the healers so soon that you'll think all this a dream"

Angel laughed for the first time that day and said, "That'd be so like him, wouldn't it?"

"I always told Mum and Dad that naming him after not one but two of the Marauders was quite plainly begging for trouble" Lily said in perfect imitation of Professor McGonagall that Angel couldn't hold back the giggle that escaped.

Just then the door opened and Bran entered.

"There you are. I was told to get you guys. James is awake"

"See? I told ya"

Lily and Angel rushed to the door, nearly barreling Bran in the process making him shake his head in resignation.

A/n: Hey there! I know I have not been updating but I have a perfectly genuine reason this time. I was away on a trip for a week but I'm back now and will be updating regularly. I'll be updating my Draco/Astoria fic next!

See ya!

And don't forget! Review!


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